President defends appointing Young as PM

President Christine Kangaloo has defended her decision to appoint Stuart Young as the new Prime Minister, emphasising that she acted strictly in accordance with the Constitution.

In a statement on March 17, shortly after Young’s swearing in, Kangaloo explained the Constitution mandates that a Prime Minister must always be in place.

Laying out the timeline of events, she said Dr Keith Rowley submitted his resignation in a letter to her dated March 12, stating that he would step down as prime minister effective midnight on March 16.

He also confirmed that he was no longer willing to hold the office.

“The Constitution does not contemplate that there shall be no prime minister,” Kangaloo stated.

“Accordingly, upon Dr Rowley’s resignation, there arose the occasion for the appointment of a prime minister.”

The People’s National Movement (PNM) holds the majority in Parliament, and all 21 PNM members of the House of Representatives submitted letters to the President confirming their support for Young as their leader in the House, the President said.

Young also wrote to the President on March 12, confirming his willingness to accept the office of Prime Minister and reaffirmed his decision on March 17.

Kangaloo said, “In my own deliberate judgment, having regard to the letters from the 21 members of the House of Representatives and from Mr Young himself, I have appointed the Honourable Stuart Young, SC, MP as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.”

She reiterated that her actions were strictly guided by constitutional provisions, particularly Section 76(1), which outlines the process for appointing a prime minister when the position becomes vacant.

The media release comes as the opposition's threat of legal action over Young’s appointment continues to loom.

On March 10, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Young could only be appointed if Parliament was dissolved and elections called or if Rowley resigned as both prime minister and political leader of the PNM.

She warned if the government and the President ignored her advice, they will “face the brilliant UNC lawyers in the court house.”

Newly-appointed Attorney General Camille Robinson Regis has since said the government has adopted a "wait and see" approach but believes it is on a strong constitutional footing and does not expect any challenge.

“We have looked at the clauses that relate to the appointment of a prime minister. In addition to that, the letters that we sent to the President covered all the possible bugbears in that appointment."