Watson Duke to drop bombs at PDP campaign launch

WATSON Duke, political leader and founder of the PDP (Progressive Democratic Patriots), has once again said he intends to "drop bombs" at the launch of the PDP's campaign for the 2020 national elections and the 2021 THA (Tobago House of Assembly) elections on Sunday.

The launch takes place at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Course, Tobago, from 5-7 pm.

Duke spoke at a press conference yesterday at the Public Services Association office in Port of Spain. Duke, minority leader in the THA, is also president of the PSA and of Natuc (the National Trade Union Centre).

He said. “We intend to drop some bombs. I say. on Sunday. Bomb of information like the Bomb newspapers. Bombs! And who is not dead – politically dead – would be badly wounded.”

Before the launch on Sunday, a motorcade will leave Roxborough at 2 pm for the Magdalena.

Duke said: “It will be the longest political campaign in the history of our country, and we would not be going soft on the PNM nor the UNC. We are going full throttle.

“We expect thousands of persons to be there and we have provided for all of them and they will be given the finest treatment that our monies can afford. Magdalena is well prepared, the bars are stocked, the place will be well decorated with the PDP logo, etc.

“We are not importing any people from Trinidad. That place will be ram out on Sunday, but the drinks and the food will continue to flow.”

The event will also feature addresses by the PDP's THA members Dr Faith B Yisrael, Farley Augustine and Duke.

He said the candidate for Tobago East, and maybe West too, will be introduced.

“As I said, it will be the longest campaign in this country, but it will never lose steam. We are prepared to go a full year of campaigning.”

Declaring that the PNM would be "no more" in Tobago, Duke warned, "We will vanquish them completely! As a matter of fact, we intend to win all 12 seats in the THA elections and all two seats in the national elections. It is the end of the PNM."

He conceded, “We know to ourselves we do not have a majority, but those two seats (Tobago East and West, currently held by the PNM) would become the fulcrum of power. And as such, we will join with any party that is willing to make our demands a priority.

“We have specific demands that would be revealed on Sunday. But for sure those two seats in Tobago, they are gone! And for the THA elections, we are taking the 12 seats for sure.”

After sweeping the THA election, he said, "We will turn our sights on Trinidad to ensure that the working class here finds a voice.”

Dressed in full PDP gear, Duke said he wants the Prime Minister to know the working class of TT consists of more than Cepep and URP workers, and there are workers who have not had an increase in salary for the last six-ten years.

“I, as the founder and the political leader of the PDP, stand to represent these workers, and our main thrust in this election is to make sure that people are placed before politics,” declared Duke.

He said his decision to get involved in politics was based on the need for workers to have a say in Parliament, in Cabinet and in the way they live.

He said for far too long, politics had found a way to trump people, and so, “It is political to starve the people of an increase, it is political to fire the people so you get IMF support and different persons' support. But it is not really people-oriented. It’s time to understand politics is based on people, and not people must give way to the politics.”