PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The United States government Tuesday welcomed the victory of Kamla Persad Bissessar in Monday’s general election, describing her as a “strong leader, friend, a US ally”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Persad Bissessar, who led her United National Congress (UNC) coalition to an overwhelming victory, “shares President Donald Trump’s priorities on security and immigration.

“We look forward to building a close partnership for the future of Trinidad and Tobago and the entire Caribbean,” Rubio added.

Meanwhile, both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth Observer groups have released separate statements regarding the general election that was contested by 161 candidates representing 17 political parties and three independent candidates.

In its statement, the 12- member CARICOM Election Observation Mission (CEOM) said its “ primary role is to observe preparations for the conduct of the Parliamentary Elections and to provide an independent, impartial, and honest assessment of the electoral process, taking account of all factors that may impinge on the overall credibility and transparency of the elections”.

It said based on the team’s observations, the initial assessment “is that the voters were able to cast their ballots without intimidation or fear, and that the results of the 28 April, 2025 Parliamentary Elections reflect the will of the electorate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago”.

The CEOM chief of mission, Ian S Hughes, said that a full report will be prepared for submission to the CARICOM Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett.

For its part, the Commonwealth Observer team said that its final report with key recommendations will be submitted to the Secretary-General and shared with the Trinidad and Tobago government and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), political parties, as well as other key stakeholders, and to the wider public.

But in its preliminary report, the group recommend that all political parties adhere to the Code of Political Conduct, which does “not permit the use and abuse of state resources for political campaigns”.

The Commonwealth group commends the EBC “for providing clear and helpful signage in all polling stations to aid the flow and coherence of the voting process” and that the voters’ lists were prominently displayed at polling centres.

“Voting was conducted in a peaceful environment at polling stations observed. Polling officials must be commended for conducting their duties with professionalism and transparency,” said the group.

The Commonwealth group said that it heard from various stakeholders it met that there is a need to build youth confidence and participation in democratic and electoral institutions and processes, which might have contributed to the low voter interest as compared to previous elections.

“The group recommends that measures be considered to promote greater civic participation in the electoral process, by engaging with civil society groups and allowing continuous voter education and awareness raising.

“We applaud the people of Trinidad and Tobago for turning out in an orderly manner to exercise their franchise. We commend the Elections and Boundaries Commission, polling staff, political parties, police, and the media for their respective roles in ensuring the successful conduct of the elections,” it said.

The Commonwealth group said that it is urging the EBC to strengthen its engagement with all stakeholders, including civil society, to improve the electoral process.

“We also urge the state to make adequate resources and support available to enable it to discharge its constitutional duty. The people of Trinidad and Tobago have once again demonstrated patience and commitment to democracy. We will provide recommendations on how the electoral processes might be further improved in our final report, which will be made public,” said the group.