Callender: Tsoiafatt-Angus is no longer in PNM

A YEAR after winning the support of almost a quarter of PNM members to lead the Tobago Council, Dr Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus, a former councillor in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), on Thursday found herself expelled from the party.

Last January, in the first round of voting she took 904 votes of almost 5,000 votes cast, while in the second round she and candidate Joel Jack (on 1,066 votes) gave crucial support to help Tracy Davidson-Celestine unseat former head Kelvin Charles by overturning an initial 1,513/1,447 vote in Charles' favour to a final 3,150/2,042 win for Davidson-Celestine.

On Thursday, Tsoiafatt-Angus found herself out of the party after ignoring warnings not to vie as an independent candidate for a seat which the party had declined to de-select an incumbent candidate to facilitate a run by her.

PNM Tobago Council chairman Stanford Callender on Thursday declared that Tsoiafatt-Angus was no longer a member of the party due to her candidacy for the Scarborough/Calder Hall seat against incumbent PNM candidate Marslyn Melville-Jack in the January 25 THA election.

Meville-Jack is a former principal of Mason Hall Secondary School, while Tsoiafatt-Angus is a medical doctor, a former THA presiding officer and former secretary for community development and culture.

When Newsday spoke to Callender and then PNM general secretary Foster Cummings their mood was cut-and-dried that the rules were the rules, without any sentimentality to wish her return to the PNM fold.

Callender in a statement said Tsoiafatt-Angus was now no longer in the PNM.

“It has become necessary to clarify some deliberate mischief and confusion in the minds of the electorates in the electoral district of Scarborough-Calder Hall, the wider PNM membership, and Tobagonians.

“The decision of Dr Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus to contest the THA elections against a PNM's candidate is one of the most serious violations of the party's constitution.”

He read the PNM constitution which says anyone who is a candidate in rivalry to a PNM nominee or in defiance of the party’s directive, policy, principle, announcement or interests, “shall thereupon cease to be a member of the movement.” Readmission to the PNM can only happen after the expiration of five years and with the General Council’s approval.

Callender said, “It is unfortunate that Dr Angus made the decision to contest the THA elections against a PNM candidate and by her action, she is no longer a member of the PNM.”

He said there was nothing in the party's constitution that speaks to any “independent PNM.”

On January 5, Callender had warned that Tsoiafatt-Angus was likely to be expelled from the PNM, after she had filed her nomination form for Scarborough-Calder Hall.

On Thursday, Tsoiafatt-Angus told Newsday she had not received any correspondence from the PNM since her campaign had begun, alluding to getting no notification of any expulsion. She said everything was supposed to have due process but she had got no correspondence recently from the PNM.

Asked if she viewed herself as still a PNM member, Tsoiafatt-Angus said, “I really don’t want to become involved in all this because it takes away from the focus on the people. As far as I’m concerned some of these other things are just an attempt to distract me from my focus.” She complained that media houses calling her for comment on this issue had not asked about her campaign, which she said was going very well.

Tsoiafatt-Angus said people were excited about her campaign and were giving her a good reception, as she alleged poor representation from the incumbent.

She said voters felt neglected and did not want to return to this state of affairs. Residents had made it clear they did not want the incumbent, but they were ignored, she claimed.

Tsoiafatt-Angus said she had no relationship to the PDP, but was independent.

“I decided to listen to what the people had to say because nobody else was listening to them.

“I really feel Tobagonians have to stand up and support democracy. I was very concerned when the party spoke of winning all 12 seats. For a healthy democracy, one party having the whole house cannot auger well for the development of our people."

Tsoiafatt-Angus urged local electors to vote for balance in the assembly, not have all 12 representatives from one party only.

“I urge voters to put into the assembly at least one voice who they know will not have a problem speaking up for them and for Tobago.”

Callender told Newsday that once a party member makes such a decision as done by Tsoiafatt-Angus, that leads to automatic expulsion. “I don’t believe that Dr Tsoiafatt-Angus for one minute believes she can still be a member of the PNM after challenging a member. Actions have repercussions.”

Callender said he did not have to write to notify Tsoiafatt-Angus on her expulsion. With her long membership in the party, the reality would have been implicit and obvious to her.

Asked if an automatic expulsion was draconian, Callender said the PNM is marking its 65th anniversary, and did not reach that milestone by chance or accident but by having systems, rules and regulations. He said even a youth group has rules, without which chaos and confusion would reign.

Asked if the expulsion could put a negative taint on the PNM, Callender said Tsoiafatt-Angus would not be the first member, nor the last, to be in this position.

Asked about the PNM’s prospects for winning that seat, Callender said elections are won on election day, with machinery put in place.

“That is where our focus is now. We are confident in the PNM that we will retain governance.”

Newsday asked PNM general secretary Foster Cummings if Balisier House, PNM national headquarters, endorsed the Tobago Council’s decision on Tsoiafatt-Angus. He supported the move, and said similar was also happening to a former PNM member in Point Fortin who is standing as an independent after unsuccessfully screening to be the PNM candidate.

“It applies across the board. It has nothing to do with Dr Tsoiafatt-Angus; It has to do with the (PNM) constitution. The constitution is quite clear.

“The Tobago Council does not even have to deem anything.”

Cummings said once a party member contests an election against the party, they have forfeited their PNM membership.

Asked about Tsoiafatt-Angus saying she had received no notification of her expulsion, Cummings said there was no need, as the PNM constitution was clear in such cases.

“Ordinarily, if it were a disciplinary matter there is a procedure for that. There is an investigation committee and a disciplinary committee, and it goes to the central executive and the general council. There’s a whole procedure outlined for that.

“But to contest an election outside of a party ticket it is automatic (expulsion.)”

Pressed, he said, “There’s no room for opinions. It’s just automatic. Mr Callender is correct.”

In the 2017 THA election, Melville-Jack received 1,130 votes, ahead of the Progressive Democratic Patriots' (PDP's) 512 votes and Tobago Forwards' tally of 184, with 1,826 votes cast in all, out of 4,076 listed voters.