List of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia
This article lists political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago
has a two-party system
, which means that there are two dominant political parties
, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party.
Currently the two major parties are the People's National Movement
and the People's Partnership
(United National Congress
, Congress of the People
, Tobago Organization of the People
, National Joint Action Committee
and Movement for Social Justice)
. The PNM has governed Trinidad and Tobago from 1956-86, 1991-95 and from 2001 to 2010, and currently serves as the official Opposition.The UNC governed from 1995-2001 and is presently a leading member of the People's Partnership Government, since May 2010.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
has a two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
, which means that there are two dominant political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party.
Currently the two major parties are the People's National Movement
People's National Movement
The People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...
and the People's Partnership
People's Partnership
The People's Partnership is a political coalition in Trinidad and Tobago between five political parties: the United National Congress, the Congress of the People, the Tobago Organization of the People, the National Joint Action Committee and the Movement for Social Justice...
(United National Congress
United National Congress
The United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...
, Congress of the People
Congress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago)
The Congress of the People is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It is led by Prakash Ramadhar . Its symbol is the "Circle of Circles".- History :...
, Tobago Organization of the People
Tobago Organization of the People
The Tobago Organisation of the People is an autonomist political party in Tobago formed in 2008, a members of the People's Partnership coalition. Its current leader is Ashworth Jack...
, National Joint Action Committee
National Joint Action Committee
The National Joint Action Committee is a black nationalist political party in Trinidad and Tobago.-History:The party was established in February 1969 by Makandal Daaga , who was dissatisfied with the fact that most businesses in Trinidad at the time were owned by the white minority...
and Movement for Social Justice)
. The PNM has governed Trinidad and Tobago from 1956-86, 1991-95 and from 2001 to 2010, and currently serves as the official Opposition.The UNC governed from 1995-2001 and is presently a leading member of the People's Partnership Government, since May 2010.
Active political parties
- People's PartnershipPeople's PartnershipThe People's Partnership is a political coalition in Trinidad and Tobago between five political parties: the United National Congress, the Congress of the People, the Tobago Organization of the People, the National Joint Action Committee and the Movement for Social Justice...
(United National CongressUnited National CongressThe United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...
, Congress of the PeopleCongress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago)The Congress of the People is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It is led by Prakash Ramadhar . Its symbol is the "Circle of Circles".- History :...
, Tobago Organization of the PeopleTobago Organization of the PeopleThe Tobago Organisation of the People is an autonomist political party in Tobago formed in 2008, a members of the People's Partnership coalition. Its current leader is Ashworth Jack...
, National Joint Action CommitteeNational Joint Action CommitteeThe National Joint Action Committee is a black nationalist political party in Trinidad and Tobago.-History:The party was established in February 1969 by Makandal Daaga , who was dissatisfied with the fact that most businesses in Trinidad at the time were owned by the white minority...
and Movement for Social Justice) - People's National MovementPeople's National MovementThe People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...
- New National Vision
Defunct or dormant political parties
- National Alliance for ReconstructionNational Alliance for ReconstructionThe National Alliance for Reconstruction was the governing party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1986 and 1991.-History:The party was established in 1986, aiming to be a multi-racial party...
- African National Congress
- British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule PartyButler PartyThe British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, also known as the Butler Home Rule Party and more commonly as the Butler Party, were a series of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago organised by T.U.B. Butler.-History:...
- Butler Home Rule PartyButler PartyThe British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, also known as the Butler Home Rule Party and more commonly as the Butler Party, were a series of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago organised by T.U.B. Butler.-History:...
- Butler PartyButler PartyThe British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, also known as the Butler Home Rule Party and more commonly as the Butler Party, were a series of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago organised by T.U.B. Butler.-History:...
- Caribbean National Labour Party
- Caribbean People's Democratic Party
- Communist Party of Trinidad and TobagoCommunist Party of Trinidad and TobagoCommunist Party of Trinidad and Tobago, a pro-Albanian marxist-leninist political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party was founded in August 1979. claims it was founded by Hardial Bains, the leader of Communist Party of Canada...
- Caribbean Socialist Party
- Committee for Transformation and Progress
- Citizens' Alliance
- Class Action Reform Movement (CARM)
- CurepeCurepeCurepe is a town in the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located west of St Augustine and east of St Joseph. Curepe abuts the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies. Many of the students attending the university live in Curepe.Curepe began as a crossroads, where...
United People's Committee - Democratic Action CongressDemocratic Action CongressThe Democratic Action Congress was a Tobago-based political party in Trinidad and Tobago.-History:The party was established in 1971 by A. N. R. Robinson, and was originally a autonomist party. It first contested general elections in 1976, in which it won both Tobago seats, taken by Robinson and...
- Democratic Labour PartyDemocratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago)The Democratic Labour Party was the main opposition party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1957 and 1971. The party was the party which opposed the People's National Movement at the time of Independence...
- Democratic Liberation Party
- Democratic National Alliance
- Democratic National AssemblyDemocratic National AssemblyThe Democratic National Assembly is a political party in the Trinidad and Tobago. The party is meant to serve as a "third force" is society, providing a "non-tribal" alternative to the ruling People's National Movement and the Opposition United National Congress...
- Democratic Party of Trinidad and TobagoDemocratic Party of Trinidad and TobagoThe Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago without parliamentary representation. The party is led by Steve Alvarez, with Wayne Rodriguez as its chairman. It was formed in 2001 by a group of concerned citizens. The party symbol for the DPTT is the...
- Fargo House Movement
- Liberal Party
- Liberation Action Party
- Movement for National Development
- Movement for National Transformation
- Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION)
- Movement for Unity and Progress
- National Democratic Alliance (Trinidad & Tobago)National Democratic Alliance (Trinidad & Tobago)The National Democratic Alliance is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It was formed in July 2006 by an alliance of the National Democratic Party of Micheal Sims, the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago led by Steve Alvarez, the National Alliance for Reconstruction led by Carson...
- National Democratic Organisation
- National Democratic Party
- National Development Party
- National Freedom Party
- National Progressive Party
- National Team UnityNational Team UnityNational Team Unity is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago led by Human Rights lawyer and former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj....
- National Transformation MovementNational Transformation MovementThe National Transformation Movement refers to two different political parties in Trinidad and Tobago, one led by businessman Mohammed Faisal Rahman which contested the 1995 General Elections and is currently moribund, another, led by retired Industrial Court judge Lloyd Elcock .The original NTM...
- Nationwide Transformation Movement
- National Trinidad and Tobago Party
- Natural Law Party
- Organisation for National ReconstructionOrganisation for National ReconstructionThe Organisation for National Reconstruction was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party received the second-highest number of votes in the 1981 general elections, but failed to win a seat...
- Our Party
- Party of Political Progress Groups
- People's Democratic Party
- People's Empowerment PartyPeople's Empowerment PartyThe People's Empowerment Party is a left-wing political party in Barbados. The party was established on 14 January 2006 as the electoral wing of the Clement Payne Movement. Led by David Comissiong, it received only 198 votes in the 2008 elections and failed to win a seat.-References:...
- People's Liberation Movement
- People's Popular Movement
- People's Republican Party
- Point FortinPoint FortinPoint Fortin, the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago, is located in southwestern Trinidad, about southwest of San Fernando. After the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1906 the town grew into a major oil-producing centre. The town grew with the oil industry between the 1940s and 1980s,...
Vigilante Welfare Group - Political Progress Groups
- Progressive Democratic Party
- Progressive Workers Democrat Movement
- Republican Party of Trinidad and Tobago
- Seukeran Independent Party
- Social Democratic Labour Party of Trinidad and TobagoSocial Democratic Labour Party of Trinidad and TobagoThe Social Democratic Labour Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It contested the 1976 general elections, but received just 1.9% of the vote and failed to win a seat. It did not contest any further elections....
- Socialist Alternative
- Summit of People's Organisations (SOPO)
- Tapia House MovementTapia House MovementThe Tapia House Movement was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It first contested national elections in 1976, when it finished fourth with 3.9% of the vote, but failed to win a seat...
- Trinidad Labour PartyTrinidad Labour PartyThe Trinidad Labour Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Formed in in 1924 when the Trinidad Workingmen's Association changed its name, it was the country's first party.-History:...
- Trades Union Council
- Trades Union Council and Caribbean Socialist Party
- The Mercy Society
- The People's Voice
- United Country Group, St Andrew-St. David
- United Freedom Party
- United Front
- United Labour FrontUnited Labour FrontThe United Labour Front was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago and the main opposition party between 1976 and 1986.-History:The party was established in 1975 by union leaders in an attempt to unify the mainly black workers in the oil industry with the mainly Indian workers in the sugar...
- Young People's National Party
- West Indian Independence Party
- West Indian National Party
- West Indian Political Congress Movement
- Workers and Farmers PartyWorkers and Farmers PartyThe Workers and Farmers Party was a Marxist political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party was organised by former Democratic Labour Party leader Stephen Maharaj, C.L.R. James, George Weekes and included the then unknown Basdeo Panday among its slate of candidates.The party contested the 1966...