Tobago People's Party to launch symbol in August

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says the Tobago People’s Party (TPP) will formally launch its colour and symbol early next month.

He was speaking to reporters on Thursday after a function to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the THA and Habitat for Humanity at Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

“You can expect, early in August, within the first week and a half or so that we will launch by way of revealing the symbol, and also we will engage in ratifying the party’s constitution,” he said, adding the party has also been registered with the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

Augustine, the TPP’s interim political leader, said the party’s constitution was placed online for public commentary.

Saying that people are free to share comments, he claimed quite a number of people have been responding through emails and other formats “so that we can have a much more iron-clad constitution that is fit for purpose and that, in the most democratic way, involves the beliefs of the people who support the TPP.”

Augustine quipped that “August will be quite a beautiful month.”

The TPP was established in April, four months after Augustine and his executive resigned from the Watson Duke-Progressive Democratic Patriots and declared themselves independents in the THA.

The PDP secured 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 subsequently fired Augustine, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith BYisrael and Alicia Roberts-Patterson as deputy leaders. He also resigned as deputy chief secretary and was replaced by BYisrael.

The news about a new political party in Tobago began circulating on Facebook on March 27. The team met on April 4 and 17.

At the latter meeting, there were plans to reveal a party name, symbol and colour at the second meeting. But when that meeting ended, Augustine said only the party’s name would be revealed.