A day after becoming prime minister, Trinidad's Stuart Young calls for new elections

Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald on Mar 18, 2025

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A day after taking over as prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago in a historic transition, Stuart Young is calling for elections.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday said that Young had advised President Christine Kangaloo to dissolve Parliament as of midnight and that elections are to be set for April 28th, with nomination day on April 4th.

On Monday, Young, 50, was sworn in as the Caribbean nation’s eighth prime minister in an unusual transition. Longtime Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who had served nearly 10 years governing the oil-rich republic as head of the People’s National Movement, had taken the unusual step of resigning from office. Rowley announced the decision in January and later said he had tapped Young, the minister of energy, to take over the leadership reins.

In calling elections, Young is seeking his own mandate at a time when Trinidad, like other Caribbean nations, is concerned about how other countries’ policies stand to affect it, and when the country’s main opposition, the United National Congress, may not be able to put up much of a fight. The struggling UNC, which has described the handover from Rowley to Young as illegal and unconstitutional, is led by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

After Young’s announcement, Persad-Bissessar said her party is ready for the April 28 general election. Kangaloo and Young have challenged the UNC’s assertion on the legality of his assuming the role of prime minister.

In his last rally as prime minister over the weekend, Rowley hit at the UNC by inviting disgruntled members to come to his party. He also accused the opposition of cheering at a decision by the British government to impose visas for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. The move, Rowely said, was proof that the former British colony needed to leave the United Kingdom-based Privy Council as its highest court.

During the rally, Rowley also thanked those who had stood with him during difficult periods. Trinidad has seen a rise in violence and struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic during his tenure in office. It has also had to grapple with an influx of migrants from neighboring Venezuela.

Last month, Caribbean leaders from the 15-member regional trade block known as CARICOM lauded Rowley’s posture and leadership on security and crime matters.

“I simply want to leave by asking my colleagues to continue to subscribe to what I’ve encouraged you to do, because together we are always stronger in every single circumstance,” he said. “Once we are together, we’ll be stronger.”

During his swearing-in, Young retained thee portfolio of energy minister but also announced changes to the cabinet including a new attorney general and minister of legal affairs, former Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis.