PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – The first female prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago faces a tough fight for re-election Monday amid complaints about corruption and violent crime in the twin-island Caribbean nation.
Polls show a close race for control of Parliament between the coalition led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the party of opposition leader Keith Rowley.
The two rivals have similar ideology and divide largely along ethnic lines. Each claims it will do a better job of tackling violent crime and managing the country’s natural gas and oil resources amid falling prices.
The two also have traded accusations of corruption, some lobbied by ousted former world soccer official Jack Warner, who is seeking to recapture a seat in Parliament while fighting extradition to the U.S. on corruption charges.
Five parties and several independents are contesting the 41 seats in the Parliament.