The Prime Minister has assured there will be no vacuum in the People’s National Movement (PNM) following his decision to quit electoral politics.
During a news conference at the Central Administrative Services – Tobago, Scarborough, on January 3, Dr Rowley announced he intends to leave politics altogether before the end of the parliamentary term in August.
Rowley, who served two terms as Prime Minister, said he will step down as the head of government and will not seek re-election as the candidate for the Diego Martin West constituency, which he has represented in the Parliament since 1991.
His announcement preceded today’s parliamentary retreat at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands.
Speaking to reporters on January 4 after the PNM’s screening of nominees for the Tobago East and Tobago West seats at the Calder Hall Multi-purpose Facility, Tobago, Dr Rowley dismissed speculation that a part of the retreat will be dedicated toward gathering support for his replacement as party leader.
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“We have many retreats and we did not choose anybody. So why should tomorrow be any different?” he asked.
Told that he had never formally announced, before January 3, that he was quitting politics, he said, “I can tell you one thing for sure, there will be no vacuum.”
Asked by a reporter if he was looking at anyone in particular, Rowley quipped, “Who would you wish to have? I am not going to be there, so I am not picking favourites.”
But he said under the constitution, the members of Parliament have a role to play in electing a new prime minister.
“I have every confidence that as the situation evolves that they will play the role that they will required to play.”
The new prime minister will have to a be a member of parliament who commands the majority of support of members of House of Representatives. The PNM currently has 21 MPs and the candidate will need the support at least 11 MPs.
Asked about his role as PNM political leader, which ends in 2026, Rowley said, “I am not going to be staying on until 2026, that’s for sure. And if I am required to go earlier than my own thoughts, I will do so.
“I always talk to my colleagues in the Parliament and I tell them all the time, ‘Don’t fall in love with these jobs. There are times when you have to leave them and it is better to leave on your terms than to be sent out.”
The PM said he was amazed by the public’s response to his decision.
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“I am really surprised that this is such a wave-making thing because this is how it ought to be. And if it is that I am breaking new ground here, it is for good reason and the future should be more like this.”
On whether there will be an internal election before the general election, Rowley said, “Because of the way it’s evolving, I cannot answer that question. It would not be my decision.”
Asked if he had the election date in his back pocket, Rowley joked, “Would you like to check? All I have in my back pocket is a blue kerchief. I don’t keep election dates in my back pocket.”
At the screening exercise, incumbent MPs Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis and Ayanna Webster-Roy again got the nod of the committee to contest the Tobago West and East seats in this year’s general election.
The women, who were unopposed, celebrated with their constituents and supporters after learning they were re-selected.
Of their re-selection, Rowley said, “When candidates come forward like that, incumbents unopposed, it signals that there is some element of satisfaction with their performance. Usually when there is disquiet and some sense of vulnerability, there is usually a challenge by other people who feel they could do a better job.
“These two candidates have been with us since 2015 as very young people. They have developed a fair amount of experiences. They both have Cabinet positions and they have done very well. I must tell you, as head of the Cabinet, that I am very pleased with the performance of these two ministers and it also appears that their constituencies here in Tobago are pleased with their performance. So there was no challenge to them. They were examined. They performed very well. As minister of government you would expect that they can speak intelligently to a number of issues and the people of Tobago are very proud of them.”
Rowley said the PNM was very happy to have closed off its search for candidates in Tobago.
The women told reporters they had learnt a lot from the Prime Minister over the years and congratulated him on his impending retirement.
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Among those attending yesterday’s exercise were PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis, THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris, Minority councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit and PNM senator Laurence Hislop.
The PNM has to select candidates for the three Diego Martin seats, two constituencies in Port of Spain, La Brea, Laventille East/Morvant and a new candidate of D'Abadie/O'Meara following the fiery death of Lisa Morris-Julian on December 16 before it closes off its screening process for the 2025 polls.
