[UPDATED] Duke to launch PDP Trinidad in two weeks

Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriot’s (PDP) Watson Duke said the party is coming to "help" Trinidad in two weeks.

In a short teaser posted on Facebook on Friday, Duke was seen walking through an office with a PDP logo at the reception desk. The video is captioned: “Trinidad help is coming in the next two weeks. PDP!”

When contacted, Duke told Newsday there is a PDP office in Barataria. No date was given for the official opening of the party's Trinidad arm.

He said, “There will be a Trinidad PDP and Tobago PDP, separate on some issues but with one PDP structure.

“PDP has always been national. Its focus has been Tobago first. Now, with able-bodied leaders at the helm of THA putting Tobago first, the PDP can respond to Trinidad’s cry for political help.”

He said the opening of the Trinidad head office will get the ball rolling, and all executive members of PDP Trinidad will be announced "at the appropriate time."

His first order of business is to prepare a team to contest seats in the Port of Spain City Corporation in the upcoming local government elections.

He said his party will be ready to contest all 41 seats in the general election, constitutionally due by 2025.

Asked how he plans to balance the duties of THA deputy chief secretary and focus on building the party in Trinidad, Duke said, “I am PDP political leader first, before deputy chief secretary.”

The PDP was established in 2017 and captured two of 12 seats in the Tobago House of Assembly elections that year.

The party then went on to tie in a six-six deadlock with the PNM in the January 2021 THA elections.

The Election and Boundaries Commission later increased Tobago’s electoral districts from 12 to 15, under direction from the Parliament, to reduce the likelihood of another tie.

In the December 6, 2021 THA elections, the PDP captured 14 seats to seize control of the assembly, ending two decades of PNM reign.

Duke first announced plans to contest all elections in Trinidad during a live video last December, on his final day as Public Services Association president.

As he cleared his office at Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, he said, “We intend to contest every election in Trinidad.

“We want to create true unison that is meaningful and allows citizens to access every single service without fear or favour, affection or ill will, a red party card or yellow party card.”

“This is Trinidad, this is Tobago. We must create a new relationship that will see Tobago and Trinidad as real partners, not a senior partner and junior partner.”

Political analyst Bishnu Ragoonath weighed in on the implications of this development, describing it as a move worth monitoring.

He said, “The PDP now has to start developing a following in Trinidad, because their following is in Tobago thus far.”

The PNM has repeatedly claimed that the PDP is an agent of the UNC.

Ragnoonath said, “If the PDP is going to competing for the election in Trinidad they are going to be competing against the UNC and PNM, or we will have to wait and see if they will come up with some sort of coalition, where the seats that are highly aligned with the PNM would be the ones the PDP would contest…

“We don’t know how this will play out, but if Duke says he is bringing the PDP to Trinidad...he is an opponent of all parties, including UNC and PNM.”

The PDP has denied any links with the UNC. In 2019, it refused a request to join a coalition between Tobago Forwards, Tobago Organisation of the People and Platform of Truth – Tobago-based parties – to contest the January 2021 THA elections.

This story has been updated to include additional information. Read original below:

Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriot’s (PDP) Watson Duke said the party is coming to "help" Trinidad in two weeks.

In a short teaser posted on Facebook on Friday, Duke was seen walking through an office with a PDP logo at the reception desk. The video is captioned: “Trinidad help is coming in the next two weeks. PDP!”

Duke could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The PDP was founded in 2017 and captured two of 12 seats in the Tobago House of Assembly elections that year.

The party then went on to tie in a six-six deadlock with the PNM in the January 2021 THA elections.

The Election and Boundaries Commission later increased Tobago’s electoral districts from 12 to 15, under direction from the Parliament, to reduce the likelihood of another tie.

In the December 6, 2021 THA elections, the PDP captured 14 seats to seize control of the assembly, ending two decades of PNM reign.

Duke was sworn in as Deputy Chief Secretary.

He first announced plans to contest all elections in Trinidad during a live video last December, on his final day as Public Services Association president.

As he cleared his office at Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, he said, “We intend to contest every election in Trinidad.

“We want to create true union that is meaningful and allows citizens to access every single service without fear or favour, affection or ill will, a red party card or yellow party card.”

“This is Trinidad, this is Tobago. We must create a new relationship that will see Tobago and Trinidad as real partners, not a senior partner and junior partner.”