51 years ago —May 10, 1971

Patrick Manning was declared elected unopposed as MP for San Fernando East ahead of the May 24 general election.
He did not have to campaign, owing to a decision of the ACDC-DLP coalition to lead a no-vote campaign.
The PNM won the remaining 28 seats on election day, and formed the government with all 36 seats in the House of Representatives.
At first, Manning was appointed parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. Then, after the death of Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams in March 1981, he was elevated to a full ministerial portfolio in the Cabinet of George Chambers; holding the Industry and Commerce, and Information portfolios, then Energy and Natural Resources.
When the PNM lost the General Election in 1986, Manning was one of three PNM candidates who retained their seats. He became the Leader of the Opposition and within two months was elected to the post of Political Leader of the PNM.
In 1991, Manning was appointed Prime Minister. He would again be appointed Prime Minister in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
Following the loss of the General Election in 2010, Manning resigned as Political Leader of the PNM but continued as a PNM Representative and Parliamentary Representative for the San Fernando East constituency.
When the Parliament was dissolved in 2015, Manning, who was 68 years old, had served in the political arena for 44 years. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving politician in Trinidad and Tobago.
Born in San Fernando in 1946, Manning died on July 2, 2016, from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. (Source: Dominic Kalipersad, May 10, 2022)