Duke tells PM: Learn from my mistakes

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has warned the Prime Minister about making the same "mistakes" he did by endorsing the wrong person.

Duke was speaking in a video posted to his social media page on January 6, moments after the Prime Minister announced that the People's National Movement (PNM) caucus had chosen Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young as his replacement.

On January 3 Dr Rowley announced that he will retire from electoral politics after 45 years. Rowley later added that he would be resigning before the end of his term of office.

The government held a retreat at a private villa, Plantations, Lowlands, Tobago, on January 5 and 6, where a vote was taken to decide who will take the prime ministerial reins.

According to reports, PNM MPs voted 11-9 in favour of Young over Arima MP Pennelope Beckles-Robinson.

Rowley reportedly abstained.

Speaking to the media on January 6, Rowley gave a glowing endorsement of Young, the Minister of Energy.

He said Young has "distinguished himself" in the last ten years in working on a number of detailed and technical assignments.

"I have no doubt that Minister Young's experience, dedication and commitment to the people of TT, will ensure that (during) the period he has the responsibility for being Prime Minister, he will continue to put the people of TT's interest first," Rowley said.

But Duke, a former Public Services Association (PSA) leader, believes Young is not the right person for the job. He told Rowley endorsing the wrong individual has consequences.

He said, "I am speaking to the PM and those who are listening. I, Watson Solomon Duke, put God out of my thoughts and think I could trust mankind and I trusted the current leader of the PSA (Leroy Baptiste) with office in 2021, December. I was betrayed.

"(I) have to now turn around and fight for my survival. I can't speak to them, they not listening."

In June 2024 Duke sued the PSA over payment of a pension.

"You cannot appoint someone to power and then try to direct them. Once someone seizes power based on your recommendation, that's it. You now will have to obey and follow that power."

He also cited his endorsement of former PDP deputy leader Farley Augustine for Chief Secretary in the 2021 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections. Duke and Augustine had a public spat in 2022 over alleged lack of funding for the Roxborough Folk Performers' trip to New York.

Duke later resigned as Deputy Chief Secretary and Augustine stepped down from his PDP post.

Augustine and the rest of the THA executive council later formed their own political party, the Tobago People's Party. After winning the December 2021 THA elections 14-1, Duke is now the sole PDP representative in the assembly.

Duke said, "Today, Mr Rowley, when you speak to Stuart Young, your wish, your counsel, your advice is likened to a command.

"Tomorrow, when Stuart Young becomes PM, your wish, your advcie, your counsel comes like nothing. It's one out of a thousand advice (he is getting).

"I did the same thing in the THA where I said, 'Farley, you go ahead.'

"I put God out of my thoughts. Big mistake. I regret it to this day.

"My point is, you have not been down this road before. When you have power, everybody will smile with you. You will not know the real from the deep fakes."

Duke also claimed Young does not understand the plight of the poor black man.

He said he was surprised to see "a black party" vote for Young, when in Trinidad and Tobago "there is race when it comes to voting."

He said, "You vote along ethnic lines, and then you have the conscious voter who votes on issues.

"So for the masses who go along ethnic lines, when you replace a black leader with someone of Chinese descent, it's a message that you are sending to the population that is 50 per cent black – you are saying to them that this is now your leader."

Duke, the electoral representative for Roxborough/Argyle, said black identity is being eroded daily with negativity such as crime and poverty.

"Is this the best way you would have answered the problem of the black man? The Prime Minister once said that black people are not doing so well in the economy; tell me, is this the panacea, where you would put a man of Chinese descent, albeit Trinidadian, to lead the black party?

"I think this is a regressive move, after such a progressive move of saying you're gonna resign."

Duke said has no personal issue with Young, saying he is academically strong, has a strong personality and is "a man on the ground."

However, he questioned whether the party's grassroots supporters would support him.

"I think it's a poor move.

"If you're looking to improve the fortunes of someone. I think you would want to find someone whose employment history speaks of small sums of money, someone who is a struggler, someone who made it up through the ranks.

"Stuart Young is not one of those guys who made it up through the ranks. He grew up in maybe a better place than many persons of African descent.

"He may not know what hunger is like; he may not know what going to the general hospital is like; he may not know what not having money to buy medication is like; he may not know when the old-age pension come late the whole house not eating...

"How are you gonna put someone who is out of touch with the black man's reality?"

Duke advised Rowley to call the election whenever he decides to demit office.

"Let the people of TT choose their PM. Let them hear his representation, his arguments; let them see his team and let them choose their PM."