Dou­glas Mendes, SC

Un­der the first-past-the-post sys­tem, the can­di­date who ob­tains the­largest num­ber of the votes cast on elec­tion day is elect­ed as the rep­re­sen­ta­tive for the con­stituen­cy in which she ran. Where the elec­tion is con­test­ed by more than two can­di­dates, the pos­si­bil­i­ty ex­ists that the win­ning can­di­date will have re­ceived less than 50 per cent of the votes cast.This hap­pened in 14 of the 41 con­stituen­cies in the 2007 gen­er­al elec­tion, which was con­test­ed by the three ma­jor par­ties, the PNM, the UNC and the COP.

On the oth­er hand, all of the win­ning can­di­dates in the 2010 elec­tion re­ceived more than 50 per cent of the votes casts in their re­spec­tive con­stituen­cies. This was be­cause on­ly two can­di­dates from each of the ma­jor par­ties con­test­ed that elec­tion, the prod­uct of the ac­com­mo­da­tion ar­rived at be­tween the UNC, the COP and the MSJ not to run against each oth­er.

Un­der the two-round or runoff sys­tem now be­ing pro­posed for in­ser­tion in the Con­sti­tu­tion, a can­di­date may on­ly be elect­ed to a seat in the House if she re­ceives more than 50 per cent of the votes cast. This means that if at the end of the count on elec­tion day, none of the can­di­dates cross­es the 50 per cent thresh­old, a fresh elec­tion would be held be­tween the top two can­di­dates on­ly, guar­an­tee­ing that one of them would emerge af­ter the sec­ond round with the re­quired 50 per cent.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/dig­i­tal/new-mem­bers