Charles quotes Panday: Politics has morality of its own

Chief Secretary and incumbent PNM political leader, Kelvin Charles quoted former prime minister Basdeo Panday as he addressed the alliance formed against him for the PNM Tobago Council runoff against Tracy Davidson-Celestine.

Defeated candidates Joel Jack and Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus publicly endorsed Davidson-Celestine for the runoff, effectively making it three against one and tipping the scales against Charles. Davidson-Celestine on Sunday evening was named the new political leader of the PNM Tobago Council after earning 3,050 votes compared to Charles' 2,042.

Charles said he was not surprised by the alliance as he exited the polling station at the Bethesda Multipurpose Facility, Plymouth on Sunday morning.

Last Sunday Charles earned the most votes (1,513) in the internal election, bettering Davidson-Celestine (1,447), Deputy Chief Secretary Jack (1,066) and former THA presiding officer Tsoiafatt Angus (904). Charles' final tally was insufficient for a mandate, triggering a runoff to decide the leader.

“I am as confident as I was last week and of course at the end of the day, this would be a victory for the people and it would be a victory for the man above, because I continue to do what he has destined me to do.”

He added: “In 2016, we had a runoff as well, so it's not my first experience. We have striven to keep it clean as we did in 2016, knowing as we did then, as we do now, that somebody will have the responsibility to pick up the pieces.

"So, we continue to do that... I have always said that how you campaign is how you would govern, so we maintained a clean approach to the campaign.”

Questioned about the alliances, Charles said: “There was some sort of alliance on the last occasion, you know... I think it was Basdeo Panday who said that politics has a morality of its own.”

Re-elected PNM Tobago Council chairman Stanford Callender said he too was not taken aback by the alliance.

“I’m not disappointed, and it is a reflection of what took place in 2016, so, it was something that was anticipated. We know exactly what needs to be done and just did what is necessary,” he said.