Upcoming Elections a Potential Impetus for Crackdown On Crime in Trinidad and Tobago

• The upcoming 2025 general elections in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) are unlikely to pose a threat to political stability and continuity.
• T&T is scheduled to hold general elections in mid-2025, where voters will elect all 41 seats in the House of Representatives for a subsequent 5-year term. For decades, politics in the market has been dominated by the two largest parties – the United National Congress (UNC) and the People’s National Movement (PNM) – with the latter securing majorities in the 2020 and 2015 elections. 
• That said, they may serve as an impetus for a more aggressive crackdown on crime, which continues to reach multi-quarter highs.
• Additional pressure may also be induced by the potential economic implications of high crime, which may potentially discourage tourist arrivals, a key source of income from Trinidad & Tobago, and thus reduce the PNM’s popularity in the upcoming elections. 
• However, other risks to T&T’s political stability are low thanks to strong ties with neighbouring countries and the US, low unemployment, and stable inflation. Overall, it is believed that other sources of risk to T&T’s political environment will remain manageable over the next few quarters. 

 (Source: Fitch Solutions)