2018 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election

Indirect presidential elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 19 January 2018.

2018 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election

19 January 2018
 
Nominee Paula-Mae Weekes
Party Independent
Electoral vote Unopposed

President before election

Anthony Carmona
Independent

Elected President

Paula-Mae Weekes
Independent

On 5 January 2018, the name of Paula-Mae Weekes, a judge of the Turks and Caicos Islands Court of Appeal, was put forward by the PNM government of Prime Minister Keith Rowley in hopes of reaching a consensus with the UNC-led parliamentary opposition of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, which later indeed endorsed her nomination as well. As Weekes was the only nominated candidate on election day, she was deemed elected without the need for a vote. Paula-Mae Weeks thus became the first woman to take office as president of Trinidad and Tobago on 19 March 2018.[1]

Electoral method

The President of Trinidad and Tobago is indirectly elected for a 5-year term by an electoral college comprising all 41 members of the House of Representatives and all 31 members of the Senate.

To win the election a candidate must gain a plurality of votes cast, whereby a quorum comprising the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 10 Senators and 12 other member of the House of Representatives must be met for the election to be considered valid. If only one candidate should be nominated to run in the election, he or she shall be considered to have been elected president without the need for a vote to take place.[2]

Candidates

Nominated by the Government

Electoral College

Partisan make-up of the Electoral College

Political PartySeats in
House of
Representatives
Seats in SenateTotal%
People's National Movement23153852.78%
United National Congress1762331.94%
Congress of the People1011.39%
Independents0101013.89%
Total413172100%
Source:https://web.archive.org/web/20140217003126/http://www.ttparliament.org/

Results of the election held on 19 January 2018

CandidateHouse of
Representatives
SenateTotal%
Paula-Mae WeekesUnopposed
Invalid/blank votes
Abstained
Not present
Total413172100%
Source:

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic3_tto_constitution.pdf


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