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Caribbean Islands GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
The Governmental System
Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1980s was a bicameral
parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster model. The
Constitution, which took effect at the time of independence in
1962, was revised in 1976 to provide for an elected president to
serve as head of state and commander in chief, a function filled
earlier by a governor general appointed by the British monarch.
Under the Constitution, Trinidad and Tobago remains a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Since independence, Parliament has been the major ruling body
in Trinidad and Tobago. The Constitution provides for a bicameral
legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
The executive consists of the president and the cabinet, headed by
the prime minister. The president is elected by the Senate and
House of Representatives to serve a five-year term as head of state
and commander in chief of the armed forces. He also has the
authority to grant pardons under constitutional provisions. The
president must be a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, at least
thirty-five years old, and a resident of the country for the
preceding ten years. In case of incapacity, the president is
succeeded by the president of the Senate, and then by the speaker
of the House of Representatives.
The leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the
House of Representatives is named prime minister. The prime
minister is by far the most powerful figure in the government and
is responsible for running the government. The prime minister
chooses cabinet ministers from Parliament, who are then appointed
by the president, and he can change ministers and ministries at
will.
Bills may be introduced in either house, with the exception of
money bills, which must be introduced in the House of
Representatives. Bills passed by the House of Representatives and
the Senate, and signed by the president, become law. The president
must call Parliament into session at least once a year and may
dissolve Parliament at any time. No Parliament may sit for more
than five years; in case of a vote of no confidence, Parliament
must be dissolved in seven days. After dissolution, a general
election of the House of Representatives must be held within three
months. Elections are by secret ballot, and citizens over the age
of eighteen are eligible to vote. From independence through 1986,
Parliament was never dissolved in less than four years, nor had
there been a vote of no confidence.
The Senate is an unelected body; all thirty-one members are
appointed by the president. Sixteen senators are appointed after
consultation with the prime minister, six on the advice of the
leader of the opposition, and nine from among outstanding leaders
who must be citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and at least twentyfive years old. A Senate quorum is ten, and all senators are
required to leave office upon dissolution of Parliament.
The House of Representatives consists of thirty-six members and
has a quorum of twelve. Its number equals the constituencies in the
nation, plus the speaker of the House, if the speaker is not
already a member of the House. Two of the thirty-six constituencies
must be in Tobago. Representatives must be citizens over the age of
eighteen who have been residents of Trinidad and Tobago for at
least two years. As is the case with senators, representatives must
vacate their seats upon dissolution of Parliament. Members of
Parliament are protected from prosecution for "words spoken in
Parliament."
The Constitution provides for an ombudsman to be appointed by
the president after consultation with the prime minister and the
leader of the opposition. The ombudsman serves for a five-year term
and may be reappointed. He investigates government acts that do not
come under the jurisdiction of the courts, after a complaint of
injustice has been filed.
In the late 1980s, government continued to be the largest
employer. Although government employment traditionally has been
considered a privilege, that perception has changed somewhat as
salaries in the public sector have failed to keep up with those in
the private sector. Since political administrators are expected to
be in positions to influence policy, the Constitution authorizes
independent public service commissions that are empowered to
appoint, promote, transfer, and discipline personnel in the public
career. These commissions are intended to protect career officers
from political pressure. The public service commissions oversee the
appointment of permanent secretaries, as well as judicial,
teaching, and police service personnel. A public service commission
review board was established in 1966 to receive appeals on
disciplinary action taken by the public service commissions.
Public service workers have been categorized as administrative,
professional, executive, technical, clerical, and manual. Each
division has required an appropriate university, professional, or
technical degree or general certificate of education (similar to a
high school certificate), although personnel could also be hired in
a temporary capacity pending completion of the required degree. The
hiring process has included entry exams and an interview process.
Although public servants have been allowed to join political
parties, they have been barred from appearing on a political
platform or campaigning openly for candidates.
The legal and judicial system is based on English common law
and practice, and its powers derive from the Constitution. The
Supreme Court consists of the High Court of Justice and the Court
of Appeal. Other courts include courts of summary jurisdiction and
petty civil courts. According to the Constitution, the High Court
of Justice consists of the chief justice, who serves ex officio,
and a prescribed number of other judges. The judges have equal
power, authority, and jurisdiction. There is vested in the High
Court the same original jurisdiction as is vested in, or exercised
by, the High Court of Justice in Britain under the provisions of
the Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation Act of 1925 [U.K.]).
The Court of Appeal consists of the chief justice, who serves
as president, and a prescribed number of justices of appeal. The
Court of Appeal is a superior court of record and, unless specified
by Parliament, has all the powers of such a court. The Constitution
provides that appeals from the Court of Appeal may be made to the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London under certain
circumstances. In 1987 Prime Minister Robinson proposed replacing
the Privy Council in London with a Caribbean Court of Appeal. This
idea was discussed at the 1987 Caricom summit and endorsed by a
number of other Caribbean politicians and jurists and by the
British, whose taxpayers support all the costs for the London Privy
Council; as of late 1987, however, no action had been taken.
The chief justice is appointed by the president, after
consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the
opposition. The other judges of the Supreme Court are also
appointed by the president, acting on the advice of the Judicial
and Legal Service Commission.
Data as of November 1987
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