Where there is occasion for the appointment of a Prime Minister under
Section 76 (1) of the Constitution, such as after a General Election,
the President must appoint as Prime Minister a Member of the House of
Representatives who is the leader in the House of the party which commands
the support of the majority of members of that House. Under the party
system that operates in Trinidad and Tobago, that person is usually
the party's leader. Where no majority party emerges or where the party
has no undisputed leader, the President appoints as Prime Minister the
person, who, in his view, is most likely to command majority support
in the House of Representatives. In this case the President uses his
discretion. The person appointed must be willing to accept the office
of Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's position of authority derives from the majority
support in the House of Representatives and from the power to appoint
and dismiss Ministers. The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet
and is responsible for the allocation of functions among Ministers.
Apart from being the leader of the Cabinet, which has effective control
of the nation's affairs, the Prime Minister keeps the President fully
informed concerning the general conduct of the Government and shall
furnish the President with such information as he may request with respect
to any particular matter relating to the government.
The Office of the Prime Minister is also responsible for constitutional
matters, national statistics, public holidays, national awards, ecclesiastical
affairs and library services.
Hon. Patrick Manning, MP
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was born on August 17, 1946 in San
Fernando. He graduated from the University of the West Indies with a
Special Honours degree in Geology. He has been Parliamentary Representative
for the Constituency of San Fernando East since 1971. From the period
1978-1981 he served as a Minister in various ministries and also acted
as Minister on several occasions under the PNM Administration.
He served as Prime Minister from December 1991 to November 1995, Leader
of the Opposition from 1995 to 2001, was appointed Prime Minister for
a second time in December 2001 and a third time in October 2002. He
is married and has two children.
adapted from "Who's Who in Government"
