Young to be sworn-in as prime minister on March 17

Energy Minister Stuart Young will be sworn-in as prime minister on March 17.

Young will be sworn-in by President Christine Kangaloo at President's House, St Ann's. In a release on the morning of March 14, the Office of the President said the swearing-in ceremony will be broadcast live on TTT.

Dr Rowley is set to retire as PM on March 16. The PNM will present its 41 candidates for this year's general election after its general council meeting on the same day. It is not yet clear whether Rowley will announce the election date on that day as well.

Rowley will also retire from electoral politics and the PNM has selected Hans Des Vignes to succeed him in Diego Martin West constituency.

Rowley's retirement comes after 45 years in public life.

Rowley, 75, first signalled his intention to retire in October 2024, during the budget debate.

At that time, he said, "I am now in my tenth year as Prime Minister. I, too, may be a swan. But I’ll leave here with my head held high.

"I don’t know how much longer I will have in this Parliament, but I have done my duty. I have kept the course. I have run the race, and I look forward not for a pot of gold but for my family at the end of this rainbow."

In his final interview as PM on March 13, Rowley said he believed he had left TT in a good place and, despite what some might say, many good things were happening.

Acknowledging criticisms of his leadership, he added, "Some will remember me for what they didn’t get and some will remember me for what they achieved during my tenure and what I did to put them in a better position.

"I have a stack of thank-you cards in my office at St Ann’s from people who saw it fit, for one reason or the other, to buy a card, write it and send it to me.

"And the ones that I appreciate the most are the ones that tell me how the policy or how the action would have put them or their children in a better position going forward."

On January 6, Rowley named Young as his successor.

On February 26, during a speech at the Ministry of Works and Transport commissioning of the O'Meara Road upgrade project, Rowley announced he would retire on March 16.

"I too am ending my tenure in public service, thankfully not with sadness but with a certain amount of satisfaction. Many people in public life do not believe or forget your service in public life is for a period. It doesn’t matter how good or how important you think you are: it’s all about a specific period."

Young has acted as prime minister on numerous occasions when Rowley was out of the country.

On March 7, on the eve of International Women's Day, Young said he hopes to introduce stiffer penalties for domestic violence offenders when he becomes prime minister.

About Dr Keith Rowley

Here are some highlights of Dr Rowley's 45 years in public life:

Enters politics in 1981, unsuccessfully contests Tobago West seat in that year's general election.

Opposition Senator from 1987-1990.

First elected Diego Martin West MP in 1991.

Agriculture Minister – January 13, 1992-Oct 6, 1995.

Planning and Development Minister – December 2001-November 2003.

Housing Minister – November 2003-November 2007.

Accused in 2003 of having material moved from the Scarborough Hospital Project to the Landate private housing development project in Mason Hall, Tobago. Subsequently cleared of all claims and allegations.

September 2004 – Accused of being involved in a "teacup" brawl in Parliament's lounge with then UNC MP Chandresh Sharma.

Trade and Industry Minister – November 2007-April 2008.

Fired from Cabinet in April 2008, by then prime minister Patrick Manning over concerns about corruption at Udecott and for allegedly engaging in "wajang behaviour."

May 2010 – Opposition Leader after PNM's defeat in that year's election. Later elected PNM political leader.

September 2015 – Elected prime minister.

August 2020 – Re-elected prime minister.

January 2025 – Announces retirement from electoral politics.