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The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a unitary state, with a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the UK, from whom it gained independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the British monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In 2004 the party was re-formed under the leadership of Hochoy Charles and won a single seat in the 2005 Tobago House of Assembly Elections. Having lost the election and the seat he contested, Charles offered to resign as party leader, but the resignation was not accepted on the grounds that the party needed experienced leadership.

Tobago was inhabited by Island Caribs at the time of European contact. The island later changed hands between the French, Dutch, British and Courlanders. The island was finally ceded to the British in 1814. Originally a very wealthy sugar colony, Tobago's economy collapsed after the abolition of slavery. In 1888 Tobago was annexed to Trinidad.

Party politics have generally run along ethnic lines, with Afro-Trinidadians supporting the People's National Movement (PNM) and Indo-Trinidadians supporting various Indian-majority parties, such as the United National Congress (UNC) or its predecessors. Most political parties, however, have sought to broaden their purview.

Tobago is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, part of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Although Tobago lies to the south of the hurricane belt, it was nevertheless struck by Hurricane Flora on September 30, 1963. The effects of the hurricane were so severe that it changes the face of Tobago's economy. The hurricane laid waste to the plantations of Banana, Coconut and Cocoa, which largely sustained the economy. It also wreaked considerable damage to the largely pristine tropical rainforest that makes up a large proportion of the interior of the northern half of the island. Subsequently, many of the plantations were abandoned and the economy changed direction away from cash crop agriculture towards tourism.

Local Government functions in Tobago are handled by the Tobago House of Assembly. The current Chief Secretary of the THA is Orville London. The People's National Movement controls 11 seats in the Assembly, while the Democratic Action Congress controls the other seat.

The country has remained a member of the Commonwealth, and until 2003 has retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as its highest court of appeal.

Hurricane Flora was one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes in history. Flora blasted through the Caribbean in September and October, 1963. Flora first struck the island of Tobago as a Category 3 hurricane where it caused such great damage that it changed the economy of the island from cash-crop agriculture towards tourism and fishing. Flora then crossed the Caribbean Sea and strenghened to a Category 4 whand slammed into the southern part of Haiti before hitting Cuba near Guantanamo Bay. Flora then slowed up and stalled over Cuba before veering 180 degrees and heading to the northeast into the Atlantic, sparing the East Coast of the U.S..

The Head of State of Trinidad and Tobago is the president, currently Professor Emeritus George Maxwell Richards. The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of the full membership of both houses of Parliament. The parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate (31 seats) and the House of Representatives (36 seats). The members of the Senate are appointed by the president. The 16 Government Senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, the 6 Opposition Senators are appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and the 9 Independent Senators are appointed by the President to represent other sectors of civil society. The 36 members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people for a maximum of five years.