New Tobago People's Party to register with EBC

The next step for the Tobago People's Party (TPP) is to register with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

So said the interim political leader of the party, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, as he addressed the media after he and other THA executive members met for almost five hours with supporters at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on Monday.

All 13 executive members resigned from the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) on December 5, and declared themselves independents in the THA.

Saying five suggestions were put forward for a name for the party, he said votes were taken and the majority voted on one.

“The votes were taken, the ballots counted in front of everyone present. I can tell you that the overwhelming vote for the name of the new party, and the name for this new political organisation, is Tobago People’s Party.”

The team first met on April 4, after a Facebook post on March 27 said Augustine and his executive were expected to launch a new party at Shaw Park. After that meeting, it was decided the second meeting would take place on April 17.

At this meeting, it was envisioned that a name for the party, its symbol and colour would be revealed when the team met for a second time. But by the time the meeting ended, shortly before 10 pm, Augustine said only the party’s name would be revealed.

“Symbol description and colour wasn’t spoken about, but we have consensus and agreement on all of those as well.

"We have not yet gone to the EBC, so we want to have it registered with (the) EBC. We want to be certain that (the) EBC can say to us that that symbol does not exist and can in fact be used, and if that is the case, we would be ready to go in so far as that is concerned.”

The Watson Duke-led PDP had an overwhelming 14-1 victory over the PNM in the December 6, 2021, THA election. But eight months later, Duke accused the administration of failing to assist a Roxborough cultural group who had gone to New York to perform.

Duke later fired Augustine, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith BYisrael and Alicia Roberts-Patterson as deputy leaders. He resigned as Deputy Chief Secretary of the THA and was replaced by BYisrael.