Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be the next Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Her party United National Congress has won the parliamentary election of the twin-island Caribbean nation.
The victory marks a remarkable comeback for 73 year old Persad-Bissesar who previously served as Prime Minister from 2010-2015. She is the only woman ever to have led the Caribbean country.
In her victory speech, Persad-Bissesar pledged to deliver on election promises. She credited the victory to the people and said, the victory is for the senior citizens to keep their pensions, for public servants to get their rightful salary increases, to reopen children’s hospital, to create over 50,000 jobs.
The snap election was triggered after the former Prime Minister Keith Rowley of People’s National Movement resigned amid a surge in the cost of living, Trump’s trade wars and soaring crime rates.