Duke: Mind your business

Kwesi Des Vignes, Public Relations Officer, and Wendell Berkley, Vice Chairman, of the Tobago Council of the People’s National Movement (PNM) want People’s Progressive Patriots (PDP) leader, Watson Duke, and Tobago Forwards leader, Christlyn Moore, to say whether they were supporting the People’s Partnership for the 2020 general election.

Speaking at a Tobago Council press briefing on Wednesday, Des Vignes declared:

“Watson and Chrislyn, declare your hand now. Let us know where you stand ‘cause I would have heard already Mr Duke call Kamla ‘my prime minister in Trinidad’ so if that is his prime minister, let the Tobago people know that he is supporting the People’s Partnership.

Berkley added, “We need to know what is Ms Moore’s party, what is their allegiance. We also need to have Mr Duke declare his hand.”

Duke, in response, describing Des Vignes and Berkley as ‘misfits,’ “belonging to some backwater of the PNM,” and who have never contested a seat nor represented anybody, said the PDP was a democratic party operating within its own rules.

He said in the interests of satisfying the concerns of would be members, “we have been having talks with various stakeholders within Tobago, various political organisations within Tobago so as to narrow the gaps that separate us.

“We believe that if we are able to unite with Tobago we can best represent the interest of all Tobagonians. This is something that Tobago has been crying for, demanding, for us to come together to beat…the PNM. Theirlicks is sure,” he said.

“We would prefer for them to announce the dates for the THA election or the dates when those two seats, East and West, could actually return to Tobago because they have taken it good citizens, Shamfa Cudjoe and Ayanna Webster Roy and made them into drummer girls, to beat drums…while Tobago is without proper boat, without proper air travel, and certainly the education system is on a down-low.

“It is time to return good governance to Tobago,” he added.

Duke advised Des Vignes and Berkley to study the PNM’s internal elections because “we have heard that the Chief Secretary would be challenged by the Presiding Officer. Mind your own business. Take your word from your prime minister.”

Des Vignes also announced at the press conference that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will be in Tobago next week for a PNM Tobago Council community conversation and will be part of the party’s 63rd anniversary and Kelvin Charles-adminstration’s second anniversary celebrations. Tobago Council Chairman Standford Callender, also speaking at the press conference, said the party stands in readiness to take full control of negative events taking place in the country and preparing for the Local Government elections in Trinidad.

The Tobago Council, he said, was is engaged in some strategic approaches to ensure victory.

.