In the past two Local Government elections six corporations were responsible for the shift in power.
These six corporations are the San Fernando City Corporation, the Arima and Chaguanas Borough Corporations and the Diego Martin, Tunapuna/Piarco and Sangre Grande Regional Corporations.
While there are 14 corporations in all up for grabs across Trinidad in the upcoming elections, according to the results of the 2010 and 2013 Local Government elections there are five in particular that changed hands between the two main political parties—the United National Congress (UNC) and the People’s National Movement (PNM).
While the sixth, the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, still remains under the stewardship of the UNC, there was a significant shift in power between the two elections.
Following the results of the 2013 Local Government election the UNC were only able to retain power at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation because an elected councillor representing the Independent Liberal Party switched his political allegiance.
Starting this week, the Sunday Guardian will be taking a look at these six corporations as we count down to this year’s Local Government election carded for November 28.
A look back
The last time the country went to the polls for the Local Government elections was October 21, 2013.
In that election the PNM won eight of the corporations while the UNC won six.
This was a significant shift from the results of the 2010 Local Government elections in which the UNC-led People’s Partnership coalition convincingly beat the PNM 11-3.
The last time Local Government elections were held in this country before 2010 was in 2003.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission said the 2013 Local Government election was of “historical significance” because it was the first time that a system of “proportional representation was introduced for the selection of Aldermen and Municipal and Regional Corporations”.
This changed the number of aldermen to be elected to the corporations.
The EBC faced some challenges with carrying out its mandate with respect to the changes introduced by the system of proportional representation.
“There were challenges in giving effect to the provisions of (the Municipal Corporations Amendment) Act No 13 of 2013. Challenges which could have been more easily overcome if the Commission had been consulted before the bill was presented to Parliament,” the EBC stated in its report on the 2013 Local Government elections.
These challenges were, however, overcome.
The 2013 elections saw the largest number of people voting in a Local Government election in this country.
A total of 452,031 people voted in that election.
This represented 43.60 per cent of the total number of people eligible to vote, according to the EBC’s voter list.
A total of 429 were nominated as candidates when Nomination Day was held for the election on September 30, 2013.
Eventually one of the PNM’s nominees withdrew his candidature before the election.
When the results were eventually tallied the PNM came out victorious.
And now...
This year’s Local Government elections comes just over a year after the PNM won this country’s general election.
A total of $191.1 million has been allocated to the 14 corporations in the National Budget.
According to the EBC figures there are currently 1,051,115 eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
People hoping to vote in the elections have up until Wednesday to register.
In the build-up to these elections the PNM led by Minister of Rural Development and Local Government
Franklin Khan held consultations on Local Government reform throughout the country.
Khan, however, said there would be no Local Government reform in time for this year’s election. The legislation is expected to go before the Parliament before the end of the year.
Both of the country’s leading political parties, the PNM and the UNC, have already started screening candidates to represent them as Local Government councillors.
Nomination day for the Local Government elections will be November 7.
What exactly is
Local Government?
Local Government in T&T is handled through five municipalities and nine regional corporations in Trinidad, and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in Tobago.
The THA elections are constitutionally due next January.
Tobago will therefore not be voting in the upcoming Local Government elections.
Many of the community services and facilities in your community are provided by corporations.
Municipal corporations are responsible for the building and maintenance of local roads, bridges and drains, collecting garbage, maintaining parks and community facilities, issuing building approvals, and overseeing public health and sanitation.