A total of 132 candidates will be contesting the General Election in Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 7, 2015.
When nominations closed last Monday at various registration offices across the country, there were 17 political parties and five independents who would be contesting the election, according to the Election and Boundaries Commission.
The United National Congress (UNC), which is led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the major partner in the People’s Partnership (PP) coalition has nominated 28 candidates for the 41 constituencies, while the other coalition partner, the Congress of the People (COP) led by Justice Minister Prakash Ramadhar is fielding only eight candidates — four less than in 2010. The minor parties in the coalition — the Tobago Congress of the People (TOP) is contesting two seats in the Sister Isle Tobago and the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) is going with three candidates.’
The Independent Liberal Party (ILP) led by Jack Warner has 28 candidates in the election race.
The main Opposition party the People’s National Movement (PNM) is contesting all 41 constituencies.
The Trinidad Humanity Campaign has three candidates, the New National Vision Party (three), and there are five Independents.
The pollsters are predicting a very close fight between the UNC and the PNM with the PNM slightly in the lead with 21 seats to the PP 20 seats.
The PNM has been campaigning on poor governance, corruption and escalating crime.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has promised 19 items to be delivered in its “First 100 Days of Government” if it wins the election, which includes escalating crime, establish a financially independent judiciary, tackle the homeless problem, laptops for university students and tables to primary school pupils, which will begin in 2016.
