Trinidad and Tobago to hold elections November 5

[Chicokid]

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters): The energy-rich southern Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago will hold a general election on November 5, Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced on Friday in Parliament.

The five-year term of the current administration ends next month.

"I have today advised his excellency the president to dissolve parliament with effect from midnight tonight. General elections will be held in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, November 5," Manning said.

The three main contenders for the 41-seat parliament -- 39 in Trinidad and two in sister-island Tobago -- are the ruling People's National Movement, the opposition United National Congress and the Congress of the People.

In the 2002 elections, over 600,000 people were eligible to vote. That figure is expected to increase this year.

Opinion polls favour another win by the PNM but have indicated that a coalition between the UNC and the COP could pose a challenge to the ruling party.

Taken from Here

[Juliet]

Oh gorm!! Is de ads ah cyah take! Dey killin it dead! Every minut PNM, UNC, COP on de TV. An imagine we have to go tru dis for anudder mont again!

[Chicokid]

Oh gorm!! Is de ads ah cyah take! Dey killin it dead! Every minut PNM, UNC, COP on de TV. An imagine we have to go tru dis for anudder mont again!

Just make sure and exercise your democratic right on that day

[Gillion]

Oh gorm!! Is de ads ah cyah take! Dey killin it dead! Every minut PNM, UNC, COP on de TV. An imagine we have to go tru dis for anudder mont again!

Vote.... Vote... Vote...

[Manu]

Oh gorm!! Is de ads ah cyah take! Dey killin it dead! Every minut PNM, UNC, COP on de TV. An imagine we have to go tru dis for anudder mont again!

LOL... you can imagine how it was for us? Especially in hurricane when all you had was radio.....

[Chicokid]

Trinidad and Tobago holds general election on Monday

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters): Trinidad and Tobago holds an election on Monday in which an upstart opposition party, founded barely a year ago by former central bank governor Winston Dookeran, could become a power-broker in the energy-rich country.

The following are some facts about the twin island Caribbean state.

* The population of 1.3 million is almost evenly divided between descendants of African slaves and those of Indian indentured servants.

* The ruling party is the People's National Movement, dominated by ethnic Africans and led by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

* Last year, Trinidad and Tobago posted economic growth of 12 percent.

* Trinidad and Tobago is the world's fifth-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and the single largest supplier of LNG to the United States.

* Unemployment has been at historic lows, hitting 5.9 percent in the third quarter of 2006.

* Annual inflation hit double digits last October, rising to 10 percent, the fastest pace in 12 years. Food prices shot up 26 percent from a year earlier, with vegetable prices rocketing 63.4 percent.

* There were nearly 400 murders in each of the past two years, triple the number in 2001. The rising murder rate and a rash of kidnappings have been blamed on the growing influence of the South American drug trade and weak policing.

Sources: Reuters, IMF, Trinidad government ministries

Taken from Here

[Chicokid]

Well election is here today and the votes are being sum up. Looks like the PNM will return to office for a 3rd term.

[Manu]

And indeed they did.... securing 26 of the 41 seats.