THE EDITOR: With Prime Minister Stuart Young officially calling the general election for April 28, TT finds itself on a fast-tracked electoral timeline. Nomination Day is just two weeks away.
While the ruling PNM has revealed its full slate of candidates, the UNC and other parties including Mickela Panday’s Patriotic Front have taken a more measured, some might say secretive approach, revealing only a fraction of their candidates.
Young, in his PNM roll-out speech on Sunday, assured the public that the party’s manifesto would be unveiled in the coming days.
However, as of now, there remains an unsettling lack of clarity on policy direction, not just from the PNM but, from all major political players.
Other than public responses to unfolding events, neither the UNC nor any of the smaller parties have presented voters with a clear blueprint for the country’s future.
This begs the question: In a little over six weeks, what exactly are voters being asked to vote on? Elections are meant to be a contest of ideas, policies and leadership visions.
Yet, with no national debates and little substantive engagement from sitting MPs or prospective candidates on their plans for governance, the electorate is being left in the dark.
The UNC, after spending the last decade calling for elections at every possible moment, has yet to articulate what they would do differently if returned to office. The silence is glaring, particularly when considering their last term in power ended in controversy and public dissatisfaction.
The smaller parties face an uphill battle not only in getting their messages across but in proving they are viable alternatives to the entrenched two-party system. Panday’s Patriotic Front, for instance, has spoken about “returning power to the people,” but tangible policy proposals remain scarce.
Snap elections are not new to TT, the region, or the global political landscape.
In 1995, then-PM Patrick Manning called an early election in what was widely seen as an attempt to consolidate power. Instead, the gamble backfired, leading to a hung parliament and an eventual coalition government between the UNC and the NAR.
In 2010, then-PM Manning once again opted for an early election, only to see the PNM suffer a significant defeat to the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led UNC.
In the Caribbean, Barbados PM Mia Mottley called a snap election in 2022, winning all 30 parliamentary seats for a second consecutive time. While this secured her dominance, critics argued the snap election limited the opposition’s ability to mount an effective campaign.
Internationally, former UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to call a snap election in 2017 was intended to strengthen her Conservative government’s mandate for Brexit negotiations. Instead, it resulted in a hung parliament, weakening her leadership and forcing her into a fragile coalition government.
Closer to home, Guyana’s 2020 snap elections came after a no-confidence vote against the government, leading to political uncertainty and a prolonged legal
