Trinidad and Tobago elects first female prime minister

[Blue_Tires]

Trinidad and Tobago elects first female prime minister
May 26, 2010 | 1:26 pm

The tiny, twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago has elected its first female prime minister, 59-year-old Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In an early election called by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Persad-Bissessar's five-party coalition captured 29 of 41 seats in polling on Monday, while Manning's People's National Movement won 12 seats. It had previously held 26.

An attorney, Persad-Bissessar told boisterous supporters that no ethnic or class group would dominate in Trinidad and Tobago under her government. Manning's PNM has dominated politics in the country for a half-century, drawing most of its support from citizens of African descent.

Persad-Bissessar is of Indian descent, as is about 40% percent of the population in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the CIA World Factbook. About 37% of the nation's population is of African descent.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2010/05/trinidad.html

[Number23]

1. Go, girl!

Persad-Bissessar is of Indian descent, as is about 40% percent of the population in Trinidad and Tobago

I hope the new PM's ethnicity doesn't become an issue. Damn near half the people I've ever met from the West Indies were Indian. And come to think of it, most of them wound up marrying/exclusively dating black people!

[AspenRose]

2. Nah

Doubtful it will be an issue :hi: