- Photo by Ayanna Kinsale
AT 10.10 pm on April 28, the PNM government spectacularly fell to a crushing, crunching defeat to the United National Congress (UNC) with PNM political leader Dr Rowley saying if the voting trends held, the PNM would be going into the Opposition with 10 to 12 seats.
UNC political leader and Prime Minister-elect Kamla Persad Bissessar first declared victory in the 2025 general election.
Speaking from her constituency office in Siparia, she called on UNC supporters not to be boastful or arrogant as ballots continue to be counted.
“We have a lot of work to do so we are heading up now to (UNC) party headquarters,” she said.
She said the UNC held its 19 seats and flipped several seats previously held by the PNM but didn't want to declare any of these flipped seats since counting was still ongoing. She said the two Tobago seats had also gone to TPP.
A few minutes later, at Balisier House, a sombre Rowley who was flanked by outgoing prime minister Stuart Young and PNM deputy political leader Rohan Sinanan, conceded the election. He said from numbers coming into Balisier House, they were heading into the Opposition with ten or 12 seats.
“Tonight is not a good night for the PNM, but it might be a good night for the people of TT,” he said.
“Things have gone very well with the processes, the results are coming in now, but from what we have coming in to Balisier House, it would appear that we have lost the election,” Rowley said.
“We are conceding defeat on election night but tomorrow is another day. We conceded in 1986, we conceded in 1995 and we conceded in 2010, so, in this 70-year-old party, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t win.”
“We have come back from one seat, so ten to 12 seats, don’t count us out.”
He said the result was surprising.
Rowley said the PNM will begin its campaign for the next general election in the next five years. The PNM general council will meet on Wednesday and to begin the selection process for the Opposition leader.
Young said the results were a bit surprising but vowed to keep on fighting for the country albeit from the Opposition benches. He creates history as being the prime minister with the shortest stint in White Hall – all of six weeks.
