New Councillor sworn in today

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

A new Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Councillor will be sworn in on Wednesday, presumably new People's National Movement (PNM) political leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine.

In an e-mail to all members of the House on Monday, shortly before 5pm, Clerk of the Assembly Cherry-Ann Edwards-Louis informed all members of the special sitting of the Assembly at 3pm.

The e-mail read: “I have been directed by the Presiding Officer, Tobago House of Assembly to inform you that, in accordance with standing order 16 (6) of the Tobago House of Assembly, the Chief Secretary has requested a Special Meeting of the Assembly on Wednesday 11th March, 2020 at 3:00pm. The business to be transacted at the Special Meeting is the administering of the oath of Office of a Councillor.”

It added that the Presiding Officer shall convene the Special Meeting of the Assembly “in accordance with Standing Order 16 (6) (a) and Sections 21 (5) and 21 (6) of the Tobago House of Assembly Act.”

This special sitting follows the resignation of former Councillor and Secretary of Health Dr Agatha Carrington, on Feb­ru­ary 28. Prior to her exit, Carrington said she would be willing to move aside to make room for Davidson-Celestine to enter the THA as a Councillor.

Davidson-Celestine's victory over Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles in a PNM runoff election on January 26 created a unique situation whereby the leader of the ruling party was not a THA member. Internal rumblings continued after the elections with Davidson-Celestine calling on Charles to resign.

Although initially defiant, on February 11 Charles announced he would step down as Chief Secretary at the end of April, adding that Davidson-Celestine would be made a Councillor by March 1. It is unclear whether Charles will remain Secretary for Education, Innovation and Energy.

Charles and Davidson-Celestine held a joint news conference at the PNM's Scarborough headquarters at which they vowed to work towards a smooth transition of leadership as the party prepares for the upcoming general election and the THA election, constitutionally due next year.

Davidson-Celestine, the former Speyside/L’Anse Fourmi/Parlatuvier electoral representative, resigned as TT’s Ambassador to Costa Rica on February 29.

Currently, there are two PNM councillors in the THA – Kwesi DesVignes (Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment) and Nadine Stewart-Phillips (Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation).

Davidson-Celestine became the party’s Tobago council leader with the support of THA Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretary of Finance and the Economy Joel Jack and former THA presiding officer Dr Tsoiafatt-Angus, who both unsuccessfully contested leadership in the January 19 internal election.

Calls to both Charles and Davidson-Celestine’s cellphone for comment on Monday went unanswered.