Ernesto Kesar
Trinidad and Tobago trade unionist and politician
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Ernesto Kesar is a Trinidad and Tobago trade unionist and politician who is the vice president of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU). He is the United National Congress member of parliament representing the Point Fortin constituency, and serves as Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.
affiliations
The Honourable Ernesto Kesar | |
|---|---|
| MP for Point Fortin | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Kennedy Richards |
| Personal details | |
| Party | United National Congress (UNC) |
Other political affiliations | Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) |
Career
Politics
Kesar was a member of the Movement for Social Justice.[2] In the 2010 general elections, he contested the La Brea seat on a UNC ticket as part of the People's Partnership coalition, but lost to the People's National Movement's Fitzgerald Jeffrey.[3] In the 2020 general elections he was the MSJ's candidate in the Point Fortin constituency. Before resigning from the party to contest the 2025 elections as a candidate for the UNC, Kesar also served on MSJ's executive council.[2]
He contested the Point Fortin seat for the UNC in the 2025 general elections,[4] and defeated the PNM's Kennedy Richards.[5] Kesar was the first non-PNM candidate to win the seat since 1986 when Selby Wilson of the National Alliance for Reconstruction won the seat.[6]
On May 3, 2025 he was appointed Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries in the Persad-Bissessar administration.[7]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | Ernesto Kesar | 7,293 | 51.5% |  | |
| PNM | Kennedy Richards | 6,509 | 46.0% |  | |
| NTA | Errol Fabien | 203 | 1.4% |  | |
| All People's Party (Trinidad and Tobago) | Sheldon Khan | 81 | 0.6% | | |
| Majority | 784 | 5.5% | |||
| Turnout | 14,151 | 53.46% | |||
| Registered electors | 26,470 | ||||
| UNC gain from PNM | Swing | % | |||