(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Voters in Trinidad and Tobago foresee a victory for an opposition coalition in this month’s legislative ballot, according to a poll by the ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre published in the Trinidad Guardian. 53 per cent of respondents think that the coalition will win the election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Voters in Trinidad and Tobago foresee a victory for an opposition coalition in this month’s legislative ballot, according to a poll by the ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre published in the Trinidad Guardian. 53 per cent of respondents think that the coalition will win the election.
In addition, 51 per cent of respondents think that the coalition can effectively manage the affairs of the country.
Trinidad & Tobago held a legislative election in November 2007. Final results gave the People’s National Movement (PNM) 26 of the 41 seats at stake, two seats short of the "super majority" required to push constitutional amendments without the support of the opposition. The United National Congress (UNC) won the remaining 15 mandates, and the Congress of the People (COP) was shut out. Patrick Manning retained his post as prime minister.
On Apr. 9, Manning called a snap legislative election, two years before schedule. The prime minister has recently been the target of accusations for poor management of public funds.
The UNC and the COP have joined forces and are contesting the election under the "People’s Coalition" banner. The coalition is running on a platform of addressing rising crime and enacting a better management of public finances.
On May 16, COP leader Winston Dookeran called for voters to reject the PNM and Manning’s push for constitutional reform, saying, "We, the people of Trinidad and Tobago, must consider this election a referendum on those proposals that he has been parading throughout the country. Let us reject Manning’s constitutional proposals on May 24 in a resounding way. If we do not, we will be subjecting ourselves to a level of repressive politics in our country."
Polling Data
Do you think that the Coalition (UNC/COP/other groups) would win the upcoming general elections or would the PNM?
|
UNC Coalition
|
53%
|
|
PNM
|
17%
|
|
Don’t know
|
30%
|
Do you think that the Coalition (UNC/COP/other groups) would effectively manage the affairs of this country?
|
Yes
|
51%
|
|
No
|
21%
|
|
Don’t know
|
28%
|
Source: ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre / Trinidad Guardian
Methodology: Interviews with 503 adults in Trinidad and Tobago, conducted in May 2010. Margin of error is 4 per cent.
