FYZABAD, Trinidad and Tobago, April 22 (Reuters) - Five opposition parties in Caribbean gas and oil producer Trinidad and Tobago have signed a unity pact that seeks multi-ethnic support to challenge Prime Minister Patrick Manning's ruling People's National Movement (PNM) in May 24 general elections.
The "People's Partnership" -- uniting opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's United National Congress (UNC) with the Congress of the People (COP) and three other small parties -- was launched late on Wednesday by Persad-Bissessar before thousands of supporters in the southern town of Fyzabad.
The opposition grouping seeks to cut across the former British colony's main mix of Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians who traditionally vote along ethnic lines. It will also look to capitalize on popular discontent fueled by the impact of the global downturn on the local economy.
The twin-island state, which lies off Venezuela and is known for its Caribbean calypsos, steel bands and annual carnival, is one of the world's top exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a leading supplier of LNG to the United States. But the energy-dependent economy has been buffeted by the effects of the international recession.
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