Diego Martin West residents ready for fresh face to represent them

THERE were mixed reactions from Diego Martin West constituents on January 4 to the Prime Minister’s announcement of his intended retirement from active politics.

Some people were elated at the news, while others were disbelieving, dismissive or simply wished him well on his retirement.

On January 3, Dr Rowley said he will resign as prime minister “before the end of the legal limits of this term” and will not seek re-election as the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) candidate for his constituency in this year’s general election.

Rowley, who turns 76 on October 24 and has spent 45 years in public life, made the announcement at the end of a news conference at the Central Administrative Services – Tobago, Scarborough to address issues relating to the state of emergency which went into effect on December 30, 2024.

When Newsday visited the constituency on January 4, several constituents said they believed Rowley’s statement was “only talk,” as they believed “politicians like him and Kamla” (Persad-Bissessar, Opposition Leader) liked power and control too much to willingly leave politics.

Believing he would not give up power voluntarily, others speculated as to the “real reason” he was retiring, with speculations ranging from moving abroad to avoid the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago to medical problems.

When asked his opinion, one Glencoe resident pointed to the bumpy road and the pothole leaking water right in front of the Diego Martin West constituency office on La Horquette Valley Road. He also stressed that Rowley had a house in Goodwood Park  and pointed out one of the many large houses on the hill.

He said, “Whether he’s here or not, it makes no difference.”

He said Rowley’s decision to exit electoral politics would make no difference because politics in TT was mostly about race or about the party for whom people’s parents voted, instead of common sense.

Another resident agreed, saying the only reason the people of Diego Martin West continued to vote for Rowley was because the respected elders of the communities had a mindset that the PNM was the only “black political party with a say” after the National Alliance for Reconstruction became inactive. Their influence kept people voting for the PNM.

He said he was glad Rowley would retire soon. He said Rowley had got enough from the people of Diego Martin and any change could only be an improvement.

Another Glencoe resident had similar sentiments when he said, “Rowley make enough money, and make sure he could relax with a nice, fat pension package while the people around him stay hungry.”

On November 28, Rowley announced he had accepted the salary increase proposed by the Salaries Review Commission for the Office of the Prime Minister, an increase from around $59,000 to $87,847. For the rest of his life, he will receive a pension equal to the highest salary he received during his tenure.

Nataline Alexander, also from Glencoe, said she did not know what the future held, so could not say whether Rowley’s retirement was a good thing or not. But she said the population had to abide by his decision, even if he did not reveal his true and personal reasons for it.

Whatever happened, she said, people had to focus on what was good for them and move forward.

A L’Anse Mitan man who only identified himself as “Wolf” was glad Rowley would soon leave politics.

He said the people of Diego Martin West had “defended” Rowley for about 34 years, since he became their MP, but the roads were bad and often the garbage at the side of the road was not collected.

Wolf said Rowley was a few months away from serving two full terms as PM, but during that time crime became rampant, there was a economic and emotional depression, the number of kidnappings were increasing, youths were getting fewer employment opportunities and were using more drugs, funding for the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses had decreased and fuel subsidies decreased significantly.

He said if that was the direction the country was going under Rowley, it was best he retired.

Desmond Ryan told Newsday in many ways, God decided when it was people’s time, so it was Rowley’s time to leave. He said, in his opinion, Rowley did not have any positive impact in his community.

But Marcia Gorrin-Plowden from Point Cumana hotly disagreed with Ryan, saying Rowley helped people as MP and “did well” for the country as PM. She said he built the Carenage Fishing Facility and Fish Fry, and always supported the St Peter's Day celebrations in Carenage.

However, she admitted he had done more for Point Cumana and Carenage than L’Anse Mitan.

But, she said, “He is a man of age. If he feels it’s time for him to go, let him go in peace.”

In addition to the Carenage Fishing Facility, other projects completed under Rowley included the Diego Martin interchange, a new Carenage police station, the Diego Martin South Community Centre, a new Diego Martin Health Centre and the public library.

Meanwhile, one Carenage man was jubilant about the announcement.

He said whether Rowley was their MP or not, people would survive. But he believed Rowley “treat the people rough” and it was time to give someone else the opportunity to represent the people.

Another constituent, Roland Hagley, said Rowley recognised that he had enough of politics and so decided to step down, which he believed was a good thing.

“It’s best he gives someone else a chance to do better than him. I know it’s not an easy thing to run a country, and someone else might be better or worse. We just have to hope for the best.”

A woman from Carenage said she he should have stepped down a long time ago, as the country had been “sinking” since Rowley became the PM almost ten years ago. She believed the PNM had its time and someone “fresh” should step up to run the country.

The sentiments of the people of Diego Martin were similar.

One La Puerta woman said, “At the end of the day, I still have to work hard, pay bills, buy groceries and get on with my life. It doesn’t matter who the MP is or isn’t.”

Marjorie Ettienne said she believed he had made a good decision, since he was of the age to retire, relax and spend time with his family. She said, whether people liked it or not, he did his part and did what he felt was best for the country.

Another woman was dismissive of the news. She said, “He’s done because his pockets are overflowing. He doesn’t need to study anything else. He done bleed we already.”

Constituent Ivan Barrow had a more neutral take on the situation.

He said, over the years, Rowley did a few things for his constituents, so it “wasn’t too bad,” but he eventually forgot about them or did not have time for them.

He therefore believed it was time he gave someone else, someone younger, a chance to help them, as there was much to be done.