ROWLEY STAYS OUT

NEWSDAY REPORTER

THE Prime Minister has denied that his weekend trip to Tobago had anything to do with him trying to bring an end to the leadership vacuum caused by the departure, last Thursday, of Kelvin Charles as Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

Political sources in Tobago said that Dr Rowley arrived in Tobago on Friday to hold direct talks with the main players in the PNM Tobago Council following Charles’ resignation. Chief among the planned discussions were the imbroglio surrounding Charles’ resignation and reconvening of the THA to select a new Chief Secretary.

However, after a story on Rowley’s arrival in Tobago was published in the Sunday Newsday, the Office of the Prime Minister on Sunday, in a terse press release, sought to distance the prime minister from any involvement in the THA leadership issue.

The release, titled: “Prime Minister Not Involved in THA Leadership Matter,” stated that Rowley is in Tobago on a “private stay home” visit and has “absolutely nothing” to do with the Tobago House of Assembly’s issue of leadership.

The release ended by saying that contrary to media speculation, Rowley will not be meeting with or communicating with the PNM’s Tobago Council Executive which is headed by PNM Tobago political leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine.

Rowley has paid keen interest in the affairs of the PNM Tobago Council, meeting the four leadership candidates at his official residence in Blenheim on January 20, a day after the party’s internal election failed to provide a clear winner.

Hours after Charles demitted office on Thursday, he was also stripped of his THA portfolio of Secretary for Education, Innovation and Energy.

This was confirmed by Davidson-Celestine at a virtual press briefing last Friday who said Charles will retain his position as an assemblyman and the representative for the Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden Garden. Charles lost the leadership of the PNM Tobago Council to Davidson-Celestine in the party’s January 26 runoff election.

Davidson-Celestine won with the backing of Jack and former THA presiding officer Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus, both of whom had unsuccessfully contested the January 19 internal election. The elections was hard fought and there was a call for healing to mend any rift that developed during the battle for positions.

Charles announced on February 11, he would step down as Chief Secretary on April 30. In the wake of his departure, head of the Tobago Chamber Martin George opined that the circumstances under which Charles had demitted office is not covered in the THA Act.

He also said Charles’ resignation, according to the Act, has left the operations of the executive council dormant. George called for an urgent review of the legislation.

But Davidson-Celestine, who is also the Health, Wellness and Family Development Secretary, disagreed with George’s view. She told the news conference on Friday that the executive council has met and Deputy Chief Secretary Jack will act as Chief Secretary until a substantive one is appointed.

She assured that the legislature is working to ensure the Assembly is reconvened in the shortest possible time to select a new Chief Secretary.

Deputy political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), Farley Augustine, has also weighed in on Charles’ departure saying that at the height of the covid19 pandemic, what Tobago needs is not a acting Chief Secretary but a substantive office-holder in order to lead the day-to-day management of the island via the THA.

Davidson-Celestine is expected to meet at noon on Monday with PNM assemblymen at the PNM’s Scarborough headquarters.