Politics of Trinidad and Tobago takes place in a framework of a unitary state, with a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the UK, from which it gained independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the British monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. A map showing the unitary states. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Republicanism is the idea of a nation being governed as a republic. ... The British monarch or Sovereign is the monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and is the source of all executive, judicial and (as the Queen-in-Parliament) legislative power. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State in many Commonwealth countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, the Bahamas and many more, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect someone to a particular office. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The British Houses of Parliament, London, UK A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system derived from that of the United Kingdom. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... The House of Representatives is the elected Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. ...

The country has remained a member of the Commonwealth, and has retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as its highest court of appeal. The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ...

The general direction and control of the government rests with the Cabinet, led by a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are answerable (at least in theory) to the House of Representatives. The 36 members of the House are elected to terms of at least 5 years. Elections may be called earlier by the president at the request of the prime minister or after a vote of no confidence in the House of Representatives. In 1976, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18. The Senate's 31 members are appointed by the President: 16 on the advice of the prime minister, six on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and nine independents selected by the President from among outstanding members of the community. Local government is through nine Regional Corporations and five municipalities. Tobago was given a measure of self-government in 1980 and is governed by the Tobago House of Assembly. In 1996, Parliament passed legislation which gave Tobago greater self-government. In 2005 Parliament approved a proposal by the independent Elections and Boundaries Commission to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives from 36 to 41. A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister A prime minister is a politician who serves as the head of the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister A prime minister is a politician who serves as the head of the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Local Government in Trinidad and Tobago is handled through 5 municipalities, 9 Regional Corporations and the Tobago House of Assembly. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Party politics have generally run along ethnic lines, with most Afro-Trinidadians supporting the People's National Movement (PNM) and most Indo-Trinidadians supporting various Indian-majority parties, such as the United National Congress (UNC) or its predecessors. Most political parties, however, have sought to broaden their purview. Afro-Trinidadian refers to people of African descent who are citizens or nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Peoples National Movement is the ruling conservative political party in Trinidad and Tobago. ... Indo-Trinidadians are people of South Asian descent who are citizens or nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. ... The United National Congress (UNC) is anotherpolitical organisation in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Executive branch

The President is elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the person with the most support among the elected members of the House of Representatives is usually appointed Prime Minister. The cabinet appointed from among the Members of Parliament which constitutes elected Members of the House of Representatives and appointed Members of the Senate
Election Results: George Maxwell Richards elected president; President Richards George Maxwell Richards, T.C., CMT, Ph. ... Patrick Manning Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning (born August 17, 1946) is the current Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Trinidad and Tobago and Political Leader of the Peoples National Movement (PNM). ...

Legislative branch

The Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has two chambers. The House of Representatives has 36 members (to be increased to 41 seats after the next election), elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 31 members: 16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, 6 Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 Independent Senators appointed by the President to represent other sectors of civil society. The president is elected for a five year term by an electoral college consisting of the members of both houses of Parliament. Other elected bodies include the Local Government bodies in Trinidad (2 cities, 3 boroughs, 8 Regional Corporations) and the Tobago House of Assembly which handles local government in Tobago. The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is the legislative branch of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. ... In government, bicameralism (bi + Latin camera, chamber) is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The House of Representatives is the elected Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... The Senate is the appointed Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. ... An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect someone to a particular office. ... Trinidad (Spanish, Trinity) is the largest and most populous of the 23 islands which make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Castara village beach looking south, Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Political parties and elections

Election results include names of political parties. See for additional information about parties the List of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Trinidad and Tobago.

note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members (12 elected) serving four-year terms; in the 2005 elections the PNM won. An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues. ... Political parties in Trinidad and Tobago lists political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. ... See Election (movie) for the film directed by Alexander Payne. ... Elections in Trinidad and Tobago gives information on election and election results in Trinidad and Tobago. ... The House of Representatives is the elected Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Peoples National Movement is the ruling conservative political party in Trinidad and Tobago. ... The United National Congress (UNC) is anotherpolitical organisation in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... The National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) was the governing party in Trinidad and Tobago from 1986-1991. ... The Citizens Alliance is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Trinidad and Tobago Express (and the Sunday Express) is one of three daily newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago. ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... The Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Elections in Trinidad and Tobago gives information on election and election results in Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Judicial branch

The country's highest court is the Court of Appeals, whose chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Final appeal on some matters is decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. Trinidad and Tobago was chosen by its Caribbean neighbors (CARICOM) to be the headquarters site of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) which was supposed to to replace the Privy Council in the fall of 2003. However, the government has been unable to pass legislation to effect this change. The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on the Caribbean Plate. ... The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a regional Caribbean-based institution in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Administrative divisions

Trinidad is divided in five Municipalities Arima, Chaguanas, Port of Spain, Point Fortin, San Fernando and nine Regional Corporations Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo, Diego Martin, Penal-Debe, Princes Town, Rio Claro-Mayaro, San Juan-Laventille, Sangre Grande,Siparia, and Tunapuna-Piarco. The Royal Borough of Arima (population 35,000) is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. ... The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest (67,000, 2000 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. ... Port of Spain, population 49,000 (2000), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the countrys second largest city by population, after San Fernando. ... Point Fortin in southwestern Trinidad is the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago. ... The City of San Fernando is one of the largest cities which exist in the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Couva is a town in west-central Trinidad, south of Chaguanas and north of Claxton Bay and San Fernando. ... Tabaquite is a town in central Trinidad, north of Rio Claro and west of Navet. ... Diego Martin is a town in northwestern Trinidad, just west of the capital Port-of-Spain and east of Chaguaramas. ... Penal (originally Peñal) is a town in southern Trinidad. ... Debe is a town in south Trinidad located north of Penal and south of San Fernando. ... Princes Town is a town in south Trinidad. ... Rio Claro is the largest town in southeastern Trinidad. ... Mayaro is the name of a bay, a county, and a group of villages in southeastern Trinidad and Tobago. ... San Juan is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. ... Laventille is a suburb of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ... Sangre Grande in the largest town in northeastern Trinidad. ... Siparia is a town in southern Trinidad, south of Penal and west of Fyzabad. ... Tunapuna is a town in the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad is the site of Piarco International Airport (IATA Airport Code: POS). ...

Local government in Tobago is handled by the Tobago House of Assembly. The Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Main article: Regional Corporations and Municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago.

Local Government in Trinidad and Tobago is handled through 5 municipalities, 9 Regional Corporations and the Tobago House of Assembly. ...

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat al Muslimeen (Yasin Abu Bakr) (Leader of the islamist coup d'état attempt in 1990). The Jamaat al Muslimeen is a Muslim organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians. ... Yasin Abu Bakr, born Lennox Philip is the leader of the Jamaat al Muslimeen a black Muslim group in Trinidad and Tobago. ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government against the volonté générale formed by the majority of the citizen, usually done by a smaller supposedly weaker body that just replaces the top power figures. ... This article is about the year. ...

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO The ACP States are the countries that are signatories of the Lomé Convention. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries. ... The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC) was established in 1948 (then as the UN Economic Commission for Latin America) to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. ... FAO can mean: Food and Agriculture Organization Faro Airport (Portugal), IATA airport code For (The) Attention Of This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. ... The Inter-American Development Bank (preferred abbreviation: IDB; but frequently given as IADB), was established in 1959 to support Latin American and Caribbean economic/social development and regional integration by lending mainly to public institutions. ... The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. ... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ... Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). ... The Red Cross and the Red Crescent emblems, the symbols from which the Movement derives its name The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation), and the 183 national... The International Development Association (IDA) was created on September 24, 1960, is a UN specialized agency. ... The International Fund for Agricultural Development is an agency of the United Nations. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) is an international humanitarian organisation, often better known as the Red Cross or the Red Crescent. ... The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental international organization established in 1921. ... For other meanings of the ILO abbreviation, see ILO (disambiguation). ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to... Intelsat is the worlds largest commercial satellite communications services provider. ... Interpol logo Interpol, more correctly the International Criminal Police Organization, was created in 1923 to assist international criminal police co-operation. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... Logo of the International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from national standards bodies. ... Monument in Bern, Switzerland. ... The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM, is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ... OPANAL (which stands for Organismo para la Proscripción de las Armas Nucleares en la América Latina y el Caribe) is an international organization which promotes nuclear disarmament. ... The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an agency of the United Nations. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1945. ... United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is an agency of the United Nations with the mission of helping countries pursue sustainable industrial development, it is a specialist in industrial affairs. ... United Nations University (UNU) is a university established on December 6, 1973 by adoption of resolution 3081 by the United Nations General Assembly, upon the suggestion of U Thant, UN Secretary-General at the time. ... The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is a international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. ... The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps member states communicate and co-operate on customs issues. ... The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was established in the wake of the Second World War to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations. ... WHO emblem The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ... The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, and has as its core objectives the promotion of creative intellectual activity and the facilitation of the transfer of technology related to intellectual property to the developing countries in order to accelerate economic, social... The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 187 Member States and Territories. ... For other uses of the initials WTO, see WTO (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
• coat of arms
• Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago

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