1956 Trinidad and Tobago general election
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← 1950 | 24 September 1956 (1956-09-24) | 1961 → |
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All 24 seats in the Legislative Council |
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Turnout | 80.09% (9.96pp) |
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| First party | Second party | | | | Leader | Eric Williams | Bhadase Sagan Maraj | Party | PNM | PDP | Leader since | 1955 | 1953 | Seats won | 13 | 5 | Percentage | 39.75% | 20.85% | | | Third party | Fourth party | | | | Leader | Tubal Uriah Butler | A. P. T. James | Party | Butler Party | TLP–NDP | Leader since | 1936 | | Last election | 6 | 2 | Seats won | 2 | 2 | Percentage | 11.75% | 5.18% | |
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General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 24 September 1956.[1] 129 candidates from nine political parties contested for 24 seats in the legislative council.[2] The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 13 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 80.1%.[3]
In one of the biggest races in the 1956 general election, West Indies cricketer Learie Constantine of the PNM defeated Radio Trinidad announcer Surujpat Mathura of the PDP in Tunapuna.[4]
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
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| People's National Movement | 105,153 | 39.75 | 13 | New |
| People's Democratic Party | 55,148 | 20.85 | 5 | New |
| Butler Party | 31,071 | 11.75 | 2 | –4 |
| Party of Political Progress Groups | 14,019 | 5.30 | 0 | –2 |
| Trinidad Labour Party–National Development Party | 13,692 | 5.18 | 2 | 0 |
| Caribbean National Labour Party | 3,864 | 1.46 | 0 | New |
| Caribbean People's Democratic Party | 627 | 0.24 | 0 | New |
| West Indian Independence Party | 446 | 0.17 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 40,523 | 15.32 | 2 | –4 |
Total | 264,543 | 100.00 | 24 | +6 |
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Valid votes | 264,543 | 97.43 | |
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Invalid/blank votes | 6,991 | 2.57 | |
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Total votes | 271,534 | 100.00 | |
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Registered voters/turnout | 339,028 | 80.09 | |
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Source: Elections and Boundaries Commission |
References
- ^ Dieter Nohlen (2005). Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook, Vol. I. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 635. ISBN 0-19-928357-5.
- ^ "Trinidad and Tobago General Election Results 1956". Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ Nohlen, p639
- ^ "Constantine, Learie". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.