00:00Just one day after Port of Spain North, St Anne's West MP Stuart Young took his oath
00:05of office as the new head of the government of Trinidad and Tobago. He
00:10calls a snap general election. The office of the Prime Minister said in a
00:14statement on Tuesday afternoon that Prime Minister Young advised the
00:17President Christine Kangaloo to dissolve Parliament with effect from midnight on
00:22Tuesday 18th of March 2025 in accordance with section 68 of the Constitution. The
00:29OPM also said that the Prime Minister has also advised the President that in
00:33accordance with section 33 of the Representation of the People Act rates
00:37of election for the 2025 general election are to be issued on the 18th
00:43day of March 2025 and are to fix Friday 4th of April 2025 as nomination day. The
00:51OPM then announced that Monday 28th of April 2025 as polling day, the day of the
00:58general election. In an immediate response, opposition leader Kamala
01:02Prasad Mrs. said in a statement that Prime Minister Young, quote, hurriedly
01:06called the date to preempt the UNC legal action that was coming regarding, unquote,
01:12what she insists is his illegitimate and illegal anointing as Prime Minister. The
01:18opposition leader said Prime Minister Young's, quote, appointment would have
01:22been shown to be unconstitutional in the courts and he would then be forced to
01:26face a PNM internal election before the general election.
01:30Penny would have decimated him in any internal election and the PNM financiers
01:35backed coup would have been put down, end quote. An apparent reference to Planning
01:41Minister for the LP Beckels, the MP for Arima. The 2020 general election occurred
01:46during the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing and other COVID prevention
01:51restrictions had been in place. According to the Elections and Boundaries
01:54Commission, the PNM won in 22 constituencies and obtained the popular
01:58vote with 322,180 votes, 49.05% of the votes cast. The EBC also noted that the
02:08UNC won 19 constituencies and received a total of 309,654 votes, 47.14% of the
02:20valid votes cast in the 2020 general election. Opposition leader Bassan
02:24Bissessa said the UNC is ready for the 2025 general election. The PEP has joined
02:30with the UNC and the COP has said it is holding talks with Mrs. Bassan
02:35Bissessa. The NTA, HOPE and the CRN have formed an alliance for the general
02:40election. Parties set to contest the two constituencies in Tamago include the
02:44TPP, the PDP and the APP. The PNM has already selected all of its candidates
02:51to contest the 41 constituencies in Trinidad and Tamago.
02:56Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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