Rowley hopes to extend his five-year tenure as prime minister.

His party held a slight lead over the opposition United National Congress (UNC) aheadof the vote.

Voters will also elect the 41 members of the House of Representatives with the winning party’s leader becoming prime minister.

Voters from the twin-republic said corruption and the coronavirus pandemic were major issuesof concern.

Rowley said, he could close bars and restaurants to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, but he will not re-impose lockdown measures in the ethnically diverse country.

Politics in Trinidad and Tobago is largely divided along ethnic lines, with supporters of African descent aligned with thePNM andtheUNC isafavorite amongpeople of an Indian background.