T&T Local Government election on July 26

Trinidad and Tobago is having another election just weeks after the People's Partnership coalition won a landslide in the May 24 general election.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the surprise announcement at the opening of the country's 10th Parliament on Friday. She said the local government election will be held on July 26.

During the election campaign she had promised that the election, which her predecessor had postponed three times, would be held on schedule by October. The last Local Government Election in Trinidad was in 2003.

She caught everyone by surprise when she announced the snap poll but explained that the vote was long overdue and since the life of the local government bodies expires on July 13 she had to act.

"The holding to local government elections so soon after a general election is a situation that we have inherited...The need to make this statement arises out of an unfortunate period in our democracy," she said.

"A people must never be denied the right to vote... And this Government respects the right of the citizen to choose Local Government representatives."

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said the People’s National Movement (PNM) will be ready for the election.

"We have to be ready. The Government took the opportunity to call it early, the PNM has to respond and while we would have liked more time, we don’t have the luxury, but we’ll be ready," Rowley told reporters.

Rowley is the new leader of the PNM. He will formally take office on June 27 at the party's leadership convention.

Within days of the loss of the election, the PNM General Council demanded and received the resignation of party leader Patrick Manning. Rowley was immediately named opposition leader and he announced that he would run for the leadership.

Initially there was the possibility that MP Colm Imbert would run against him. But when nominations closed Thursday rowley was unopposed. Imbert said he pulled out to maintain "peace" in the party.