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Trinidad and Tobago

Country in the West Indies, off the coast of Venezuela.

Government

Trinidad and Tobago is an independent republic within the Commonwealth. The 1976 constitution provides for a president as head of state and a two-chamber parliament, consisting of a senate of 31 members and a house of representatives of 36. The president is chosen by an electoral college drawn from both chambers and appoints the prime minister and cabinet, who are collectively responsible to parliament. The president also appoints the senators, 16 on the advice of the prime minister, 6 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 9 after wider consultation. The 36 members of the house of representatives are elected by universal adult suffrage. Parliament has a life of five years. Tobago was given its own house of assembly in 1980. It has 15 members, 12 popularly elected and 3 chosen by the majority party.

History

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago were visited by Columbus in 1498. Trinidad was colonized by Spain from 1532 and ceded to Britain in 1802, having been captured in 1797. Tobago was settled by the Netherlands in the 1630s and subsequently occupied by various countries before being ceded to Britain by France in 1814. Trinidad and Tobago were amalgamated in 1888 as a British colony.

Independence

Trinidad and Tobago's first political party, the People's National Movement (PNM), was formed in 1956 by Dr Eric Williams, and when the colony achieved internal self-government in 1959 he became the first chief minister. Between 1958 and 1961 it was a member of the Federation of the West Indies but withdrew and achieved full independence, within the Commonwealth, in 1962, Williams becoming the first prime minister.

Republic

A new constitution was adopted in 1976 that made Trinidad and Tobago a republic. The former governor general, Ellis Clarke, became the first president and Williams continued as prime minister. Williams died in March 1981 without having nominated a successor, and the president appointed George Chambers; the PNM formally adopted him as leader in May 1981. The opposition, a moderate left-wing party grouping led by Ray Robinson, was reorganized as the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) and in the 1986 general election it swept the PNM from power and Robinson became prime minister. Noor Hassanali became president in 1987. An attempted coup in July 1990 resulted in the capture of Prime Minister Robinson. A month later the rebels surrendered and an injured Robinson was released. Robinson was defeated in the December 1991 general election and was succeeded as prime minister by Patrick Manning, leader of the PNM. In 1993 a new, centre-left party was formed, the National Development Party. After the PNM and opposition United National Congress (UNC) tied in the November 1995 general election, a UNC-NAR coalition government was formed under Basdeo Panday of the UNC. In 1997 former prime minister Ray Robinson was elected president. In elections held in December 2000, the UNC won an absolute majority in parliament.

In February 2001, President Robinson agreed to Panday's request that seven UNC members who had been defeated in the elections be appointed as senators. However, the country faced political uncertainty in October after Panday sacked his attorney general, Ramesh Maharaj, prompting two other ministers to resign. In December, Panday lost power after the UNC and the PNM tied in a second general election, and was replaced by Patrick Manning.

Association of Caribbean States Bretton Woods Reform Organization

Caribbean Community and Common Market Latin American Economic System

Panday, Basdeo Port-of-Spain

Tobago West Indies

West Indies, Federation of the Williams, Eric