Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Paula-Mae WEEKES*
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY **
• Assembly: Trinidad and Tobago has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 31 seats and the House of Representatives with 41 seats.

* The President is elected by indirect vote by an electoral college consisting of ten senators, the Speaker, and twelve members of the House of Representatives.

** The president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives

Description of electoral system:

• The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve a 5-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the President to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate, 16 members are appointed by the ruling party to serve 5-year terms, 6 members are appointed by the opposition to serve 5-year terms and 9 members are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms. In the House of Representatives, 41 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.