Published 7 December 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
loop News
Tobago has new leadership as PDP wins THA election landslide
Tobago has new leadership.
The People’s National Movement, which had majority control of the Tobago House of Assembly, lost to the Progressive Democratic Patriots in the THA elections on Monday.
Preliminary results indicate that the PDP went away with a staggering nine out of a possible 15 seats.
There’s a tie in the Plymouth/Black Rock district where the PDP and the People’s National Movement (PNM) both have 229 votes. The Innovative Democratic Alliance could provide a tiebreaker with the three votes they were able to garner in that district.
This was the second time Tobagonians returned to the polls after the first election on January 26 ended in deadlock. Since then three more seats were added under the Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The PDP is led by political leader Watson Duke and deputy leader Farley Augustine who is slated to become the new Chief Secretary of the THA.
Speaking in his victory address, Augustine issued a warning Prime Minister Keith Rowley who is also from Tobago.
“Let this be a resounding message, a strong message that we have rejected your notion that we are only good enough to earn $200 million a year and we must resort to being beggars of the national purse. Let this be a strong message Mr Prime Minister that we in Tobago have rejected your bullying tactics, that the kind of bullying that is part of the political culture in Trinidad is not welcomed in Tobago,” he said.
Augustine expressed hope for a cordial relationship with the Government, urging Rowley not to spite Tobago since they are mighty enough to also get rid of him.
The swearing-in ceremony for the new THA leadership will be held on Thursday.
The THA oversees the administration of Tobago.
