House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
elections were held in
Tobago
Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...
on 25 January 2021 where 12 members were elected in the eleventh election since the Assembly was established in 1980. This election marked the first time in history that both parties elected, the
People's National Movement
The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's history, contesting all elections sinc ...
(PNM) and
Progressive Democratic Patriots
The Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 2016, it is currently the second-largest party in Tobagonian politics following the decline of the Tobago Organisation of the People. The party pla ...
(PDP) won an equal number seats of 6-6, despite the PNM winning the popular vote, resulting in a deadlock and a
constitutional crisis
In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variations to this d ...
with both political parties and
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Keith Rowley
Keith Christopher Rowley (born 24 October 1949) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician serving as the seventh prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, first elected into office on 9 September 2015 and again following the 2020 general electi ...
seeking
senior counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel (post-nominal letters: SC) is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdicti ...
advice on the way forward. This election was the first time after 20 years in power that the PNM lost its absolute majority. This election also marked the first time a female political leader was elected to the Assembly and the first time a woman led a major political party or a political party with representation in the Assembly, following the
2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement leadership election where Health Secretary, councillor and former Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to Costa Rica and former
Deputy Chief Secretary of Tobago Tracy Davidson-Celestine
Tracy Petulia Davidson-Celestine (born 20 September 1978) is a Tobagonian politician who is the former Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development, as well as a former Councillor in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) becoming one of th ...
made history by being elected as the
PNM's first female political leader at the regional or national level and one of the first bilingual political leaders in the country's history. If Davidson-Celestine and the PNM were to be elected with a majority to their sixth consecutive term in office, she would have made history, becoming the first female
Chief Secretary of Tobago. The election was held alongside
local by-elections in Trinidad in which the
PNM and
UNC retained two districts and the PNM losing one to the UNC.
To break the deadlock and offer a solution to the constitutional crisis,
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
intervened and passed the THA Amendment Act in March 2021 allowing the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) the mandate to increase the electoral boundaries. In September 2021, the EBC report was passed in the Parliament, increasing the electoral boundaries from 12 seats to 15. On 6 October 2021, Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis announced the
December 2021 Tobago House of Assembly election
Snap House of Assembly elections were held in Tobago on 6 December 2021 to elect all 15 members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). The election was called following a deadlock created by the January 2021 elections which resulted in a tie betw ...
to be held on 6 December 2021.
Background
2017 Tobago House of Assembly election
The governing
Tobago Council of the People's National Movement
The Tobago Council of the People's National Movement (PNM), also known as the Tobago Council of the PNM, PNM Tobago or PNM Tobago Council is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Tobago. The party is the autonomous branch of t ...
led by Kelvin Charles were able to retain a strong
majority
A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Webster
Assembly
Assembly may refer to:
Organisations and meetings
* Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions
* General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...
, though not as impressive as their total sweep of all 12 seats in the
previous election. Charles became Chief Secretary following the retirement of his predecessor Orville London.
Leadership change
In 2020 Kelvin Charles lost re-election as Leader of the
Tobago Council of the People's National Movement
The Tobago Council of the People's National Movement (PNM), also known as the Tobago Council of the PNM, PNM Tobago or PNM Tobago Council is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Tobago. The party is the autonomous branch of t ...
and was
replaced by
Tracy Davidson-Celestine
Tracy Petulia Davidson-Celestine (born 20 September 1978) is a Tobagonian politician who is the former Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development, as well as a former Councillor in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) becoming one of th ...
. Days before a
vote of no-confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles petitioned by eight of the 12 members of the THA to
Presiding Officer Vanessa Cutting-Thomas, Charles resigned as
Chief Secretary and was replaced by elected assembly member Ancil Dennis with Davidson-Celestine, who is not an elected member of the assembly, being appointed as a councilor in the THA and Health Secretary.
2020 Trinidad and Tobago General Election
At the
2020 general election, there was no net change in the number of seats for each party, the PNM decreased their vote share to 61% but was able to retain both seats. The PDP managed 39% of the vote.
Lead candidates
On 24 November 2019, incumbent Minority Leader in the Tobago House of Assembly and Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader and
Public Services Association
The Public Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PSA) is a trade union in Trinidad and Tobago. It was originally known as the Civil Service Association but changed its name in 1971.
The bulk of the PSA membership is in the public sector ...
President Watson Duke publicly endorsed incumbent assembly member for Parlatuvier/ L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside and PDP deputy political leader, Farley Chavez Augustine, as the party's lead candidate for the election. Following the
2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement leadership election held on January 19, 2020,
Tracy Davidson-Celestine
Tracy Petulia Davidson-Celestine (born 20 September 1978) is a Tobagonian politician who is the former Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development, as well as a former Councillor in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) becoming one of th ...
was elected as the party's first female political leader and thus the lead candidate for the
PNM.
Electoral system
All twelve members are elected via
first-past-the-post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
.
Voters
All Tobagonians and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
citizens aged 18 or over, legally resident in Tobago and who have resided in an electoral district for at least two months prior to the election date are entitled to vote in the elections.
Parties
Political parties registered with the Elections And Boundaries Commission can contest the House of Assembly election as a party. The following registered parties contested the House of Assembly election:
Campaign
Both the PNM and PDP announced candidates in all 12 districts. Former
Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly
The Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly is elected by the assembly members and presides over all Sittings of the assembly.
The current Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly is Abby Taylor of the Progressive Democra ...
and defeated candidate in the
2020 Tobago Council of the PNM leadership election, Denise Tsoiafatt Angus, who endorsed Davidson Celestine in the second round of the
2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement leadership election, filed to run in as an independent candidate in the electoral district of Scarborough/ Calder Hall on January 4, after not being chosen to represent the party for the seat of Scarborough/ Calder Hall, despite being the choice of three out of five PNM party groups. Other candidates include defeated 2020 general election candidates for the constituency of Tobago West,
UTP political leader Ricardo Phillip,
CARM
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) is a nonprofit, nondenominational Protestant Christian apologetics, apologetics ministry with an internet and radio outreach. It is involved in evangelism, including full-time support for sev ...
political leader Nickocy Phillips and journalist Anthony Hector.
Autonomy, corruption, specifically with respect to an incomplete
Main Ridge Forest zip line
A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...
project and the leadership role of controversial PDP political leader and
Public Services Association
The Public Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PSA) is a trade union in Trinidad and Tobago. It was originally known as the Civil Service Association but changed its name in 1971.
The bulk of the PSA membership is in the public sector ...
President Watson Duke and his treatment towards women were persistently covered in the media in the lead up to the election. PDP deputy political leader Farley Chavez Augustine said that a 2016 Auditor General management letter on the
Main Ridge Forest zipline project revealed that only rope was discovered when the department searched for the $2.5 million material and equipment spent by the Assembly, on the zipline while Davidson Celestine was Tourism and Transport Secretary. The PNM-led Assembly and Prime Minister Rowley has denied any truth to the corruption allegations, stating that although the PNM is not perfect, the party is not corrupt. The PNM has made allegations that the PDP intends to separate Tobago from Trinidad and has been accused of bringing
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
into the campaign by alleging that the PDP is a proxy for the
United National Congress
The United National Congress ( UNC or UNCTT) is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago and the current parliamentary opposition. The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday, a Trinidadian lawyer, e ...
(UNC), linking both the UNC and PDP to
Trumpism
Trumpism is a term for the political ideologies, social emotions, style of governance, political movement, and set of mechanisms for acquiring and keeping control of power associated with Donald Trump and his political base. '' Trumpists ...
and comparing PDP political leader Watson Duke former United States president
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
Marginal seats
The following lists identify and rank seats by the margin by which the party's candidate finished behind the winning candidate in the 2017 election.
For information purposes only, seats that have changed hands through subsequent byelections have been noted. Seats whose members have changed party allegiance are ignored.
: = appears in two lists
Assembly members not standing for re-election
Candidates by district
*Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
* † represents that the incumbent did not run again.
* ‡ = Ran for re-election in different district
* § represents that the incumbent was defeated for nomination.
* ₰ represents that the incumbent ran in another district and lost the nomination
* ‡ represents that the incumbent ran in a different district.
Campaign slogans, songs and manifestos
Opinion polls
Graphical summary
The North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) commissioned an opinion poll for the election sampling the electorate's opinion.
Seat projection
Individual poll
Approval ratings
The tables below list the public approval ratings of the leaders and leading candidates of the main political parties in Tobago.
Tracy Davidson-Celestine
Farley Chavez Augustine
Watson Duke
Results
By electoral district
Consequences
Trinidad and Tobago's parliament voted on 20 February in favour of a law increasing the number of seats in the Tobago's regional assembly to an uneven 15, which is expected to be followed by early election once new constituencies are drawn, in order to avoid potential seat ties in the future. On September 15, the
Trinidad and Tobago House of Representatives passed the EBC (Local Government and Tobago House of Assembly) (Tobago) Order by a margin of 21-18, after which it was passed in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
before being signed into law by the President. The bill added three new seats: Lambeau/Lowlands, Darryl Spring/Whim, and Mt St George/Goodwood. All but two of the original districts were also modified slightly under the bill. The
December 2021 Tobago House of Assembly election
Snap House of Assembly elections were held in Tobago on 6 December 2021 to elect all 15 members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). The election was called following a deadlock created by the January 2021 elections which resulted in a tie betw ...
were thus called for 6 December 2021.
[.]
See also
*
2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement election
*
2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election
General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, 10 August 2020, to elect 41 members to the 12th Trinidad and Tobago Republican Parliament. It was the 14th election since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1962 and th ...
*
2019 Trinidadian local elections
Notes
References
External links
Elections And Boundaries Commission , Partners in DemocracyTobago House of Assembly
References
{{Trinidad and Tobago elections
2021 in Trinidad and Tobago
Local elections in Trinidad and Tobago
Tobago
Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...