Former St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has recalled advising late Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning against calling the snap general election that ultimately brought Manning’s government to an end in 2010.
Gonsalves shared the account while reflecting on his relationship with Manning and the political circumstances surrounding one of the most consequential elections in Trinidad and Tobago’s recent history.
According to Gonsalves, Manning contacted him before making the decision to go to the polls early.
Gonsalves said Manning told him he was considering calling an election and asked for his view.
His advice was straightforward: don’t do it.
Gonsalves recalled questioning why Manning would voluntarily call an election before it was constitutionally necessary, particularly when his government still had time remaining in office.
Despite that advice, Manning dissolved Parliament in April 2010, more than two years before his People’s National Movement government’s five-year term would ordinarily have expired.
The general election was subsequently held on May 24, 2010.
The decision produced a dramatic political change.
The People’s Partnership coalition, led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, defeated Manning’s PNM and secured 29 of the 41 seats in the House of Representatives. The PNM won the remaining 12.
Persad-Bissessar consequently became Trinidad and Tobago’s first female Prime Minister.
Manning subsequently stepped down as political leader of the PNM.
Gonsalves’ recollection offers a personal glimpse into the discussions taking place among Caribbean leaders before Manning made the decision that would ultimately end his tenure as Prime Minister.
Manning had been one of the Caribbean’s longest-serving political figures, first becoming Prime Minister in 1991 and returning to the position in 2001. His second period in office continued until the 2010 election.
His governments pursued several major infrastructure and development projects, while Manning also advocated greater Caribbean integration and closer relationships among regional governments.
Gonsalves and Manning were prominent figures within CARICOM during overlapping periods as heads of government, giving the Vincentian leader a close view of Manning’s leadership and political thinking.
More than 16 years after the election, Gonsalves’ account adds another dimension to a decision that remains one of the defining moments of Manning’s political career.
Manning died in July 2016 at the age of 69.
His decision to call the 2010 election continues to be debated, particularly because his government possessed sufficient time to remain in office considerably longer before facing voters.
Gonsalves’ recollection suggests that, before Manning made that gamble, at least one fellow Caribbean leader had urged him to reconsider.