Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain has organized a series of prayer across across Trinidad & Tobago in preparation for the country’s general elections this week. The former Bishop of Trinidad, the Rt. Rev. Rawle Douglin, led a six hour vigil at the cathedral on 25 Aug, with other services held across the island in the days leading up to the election. The Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Rev. Carl Williams told Newsday: “We have to pray that God gives us good leaders, because the voice of the people is the voice of God and therefore if we pray for our leaders, we could be sure that God will hear our prayers and give us leaders who will govern wisely.” On 7 Sept 2015 voters will elect 41 members of the country’s House of Representatives to five year terms. Trinidad politics in recent years has broken along racial grounds with those of African descent backing the opposition People’s National Movement led by Dr. Keith Rowley and those of Indian descent supporting the United National Congress led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In 1976 Trinidad adopted a republican constitution and removed The Queen as head of state, replacing him with an elected president. Dean Williams observed: “In every election, everyone believes they are the persons who are able and ready to lead a government. Therefore you find that you get persons who say things during an election campaign that they don’t really mean, all in an effort to discredit the other candidate. So it’s important we pray that whoever wins is best suited to form the next Government.”
