PM to resign, will not seek re-election — ‘THANK YOU, Trinidad and Tobago’
04 January 2025
AFTER 45 years in public life, Dr Keith Rowley announced on January 3 that he will resign as prime minister and will not be seeking re-election as the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) candidate for the Diego Martin West constituency in this year’s general election.
Dr Rowley, who turns 76 on October 24, announced he would step down as Prime Minister “before the end of the legal limits of this term. I will resign this office and go off to my family,” he revealed in a sombre statement at the end of the news conference at the Central Administrative Services – Tobago, Scarborough.
Tobago East MP and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy, THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris, Minority councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit and PNM senator Laurence Hislop all attended the briefing.
The news conference dealt substantively with the government’s reasoning for implementing a state of emergency (SoE), in the country, on December 30
But it came a day before two critical events in Tobago – the screening of candidates for the party’s two Tobago seats in the upcoming general election and its parliamentary retreat on January 5 and 6. The retreat is expected to outline the party’s plans and initiatives for 2025.
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The press conference was at times light-hearted with a relaxed Rowley even joking with this reporter over allowing several female reporters the lion's share of asking questions.
Rowley, who was born in Mason Hall, Tobago, gave a firm, comprehensive explanation for the decision to implement the SoE at this time and also outlined the government’s expectations of the measure.
However, at the tail-end of the press conference, in response to the last question which was about the Cabinet retreat set for next week, Rowley took on a decidedly sombre tone and at times appeared quite emotional as he responded to the question.
“2025 is a very important year. It is definitely an election year as we know. Half of that election year has gone. The other half is in front of us because the Parliament dissolves at the end of August and, of course, if that’s the case, you have 90 days beyond that by which an election must be called and the population gets involved to determine who manages their affairs.”
Rowley said over the years he and many of his colleagues were the targets of “relentless attacks from particular people.”
Many of their detractors, he said, have “never planted an ochro seed in this country, never sweep a foot of pavement, never plant a tree...but they are relentlessly attacking people who work in public life and who contribute to national development.
“And they do it with hate and vitriol. Unfortunately, that’s what it is.”
He said, for him, this was not always the case. But the attacks, he observed, have become increasingly malicious.
“I could see a deterioration in the quality of our society fuelled by the availability of the mechanisms to spread your bile, absence of certain kinds of civilities and, of course, more me than us.”
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Waxing sentimental and speaking in barely audible tones, Rowley gave an overview of his life in Tobago dating back to his boyhood days “planting grass” at Hope Estate for a salary of $7 a day.
“My first job here on a payroll was to plant grass at Hope estate and that was on the public payroll.”
He had previously worked at a juice factory, putting bottles in cases.
After teaching at a secondary school on the island, Rowley, a volcanologist by profession, entered politics in 1980.
“This year would be 45 years in public life in Trinidad and Tobago. I offered myself for service in Tobago in 1981 and in Trinidad from January 1987 when I served in the Senate to now.”
Rowley, who has served two terms as prime minister, noted that after announcing the PNM’s victory in the 2020 general election at Balisier House, Port of Spain, “I said to this country, I will not be doing that again, and I meant it, and I have kept it.”
He added, “I also said that I have brought into the political arena a number of young people who had served at that time, one term. Many of them are still in government about to complete their second term, experienced, some of them with nine or ten years approximately of service in the government.
“So the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago have a cadre of people, mainly young people, who came into public service, with all its warts and are prepared to take this country forward.”
Rowley, who was praised internationally for his government’s handling of covid19 from 2020-2022, said he had the experience of managing the country through that difficult period, which claimed hundreds of lives.
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“Only today I was happy to receive on the way here, a PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation) clearance from a concern that there was another outbreak of another covid-type virus in China.
“But the international agency has just confirmed to us that there is no need to worry and that the story about an emergency in China is not correct. I was particularly pleased to hear that because God knows we don’t want to go through another covid.”
Referring to the upcoming parliamentary retreat, Rowley said, “So I am here with colleagues this weekend and one of the things that they will be told is that I will not be offering myself again to represent anyone either in Trinidad or in Tobago.
“Forty-five years is a long time and I would like at this time to say, ‘Thank you,’ appropriately along the way to all those who have supported my effort and benefited from. I hope I would have positively impacted this country somewhere.”
In the meantime, he said he would chair the screening exercise at the Calder Hall Multipurpose Facility on Saturday and continue to be the PNM’s political leader.
“We will call for nominations in the other seats where I represent the people of Diego Martin West who have supported me resolutely from 1991 to now, and I will thank them appropriately, and ensure that they are not left adrift. But I will not be offering myself.
“I will say something else. Before the end of the legal limits of this term, I will resign this office and go off to my family.”
THE KEITH ROWLEY FILES
here are some highlights of Dr Rowley's 45 years in public life:
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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 – Jan 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.
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 behavior."
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September 2004 – Accused of being involved in a "teacup" brawl in Parliament's lounge with then UNC MP Chandresh Sharma.
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.
(Compiled by CLINT CHAN TACK)
