Cudjoe: Ex-PDP puppets looking for sympathy

Tobago West MP Shamfa Cudjoe has slammed the 13 former Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) assemblymen and three councillors who are now disassociating themselves from the party and its leader, Watson Duke.

Last Monday, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine announced their exits from the PDP in a statement.

The PDP defeated the PNM 14-1 in the December 6, 2021 last THA election, but on the anniversary of the party's election into office, there was little to celebrate. Duke is now the party's solitary assemblyman.

Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris, who lost to Cudjoe in the August 2020 general election, on Thursday criticised her former political leader's actions and utterances, since falling out with Chief Secretary Farley Augustine in September. "We cannot align ourselves with madness," she said as she claimed Duke believes members should be "beholden" to him.

But Cudjoe accused the former PDP members of being hypocrites.

She posted on Facebook, "When Mr Duke was looking for puppets you were the first to sign up, and you hoodwinked and misled Tobagonians to join in, support, and defend the puppetry too.

"If you knew he was so mad, unreasonable, dangerous and unfit from the get-go why did you so consciously, courageously and confidently commit to following, embracing, promoting and defending him and his ideals? And further, if you always knew that he was so evil and bad, why did you so passionately recruit others in your wickedness, hatefulness, folly and deceit?"

She said the ex-PDP members do not have Tobago's best interest at heart.

"This was never about truly wanting to serve Tobagonians and develop Tobago, but solely about quenching your thirst for high office and power.

"You promised the impossible, lied without limit and sold people dreams to no end. You sacrificed your integrity, morals, values and principles for a cobeau (sic) sweat in politics. Today, all the mess you fed people is all over your hands, face and even spewing out of your mouths. Now you’ve mounted your PR (public relations) trying to further mislead people, looking for sympathy and promote a pity-party?"