Trinidad & Tobago: Rowley and his Cabinet to be sworn in

Prime Minister Keith Rowley and members of his new Cabinet will be sworn into office, more than a week after he led his ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) to victory in the general election.

Rowley, speaking at a news conference, told reporters he had received communication from President Paula Mae Weekes regarding the ceremony after the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) concluded the recount in 5 constituencies as had been called for by defeated candidates of the main opposition United National Congress (UNC).

The EBC has confirmed that the PNM won had 22 of the 41 seats in the Parliament, down from the 23 seats it ad enjoyed in the previous legislature. The other 19 seats have gone to the UNC, whose political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar finally conceded defeat.

“I have received communication from her Excellency the President indicating to me that she has received the requisite correspondence from the Elections and Boundaries Commission which permits now the next step in the process of the appointment of a new government in Trinidad & Tobago,” Rowley said.

“I have received correspondence from the President inviting me to attend the swearing in which will take place tomorrow afternoon at 4.00 pm ((local time). I am in the process of putting together a cabinet and the rest of the government and by tomorrow afternoon it should be available to the public.”

But Rowley stopped short of indicating the size of the new cabinet even as he acknowledged “there will be some new changes in the cabinet.

“We would see some changes that would focus on some of the major initiatives that we have to do. One of the areas that you will see is the area of agriculture, you will see us trying to give agriculture a bit of a center stage because we intend to do a lot of work in agriculture and also the question of digitalization, you will see that reflected in the government and that would have come in step with our road map arrangements that we need to bring into the government in a special way,” Rowley told reporters.

He said the country would see some of the new legislators “accepting significant responsibilities. But there will be a very strong element of continuity within the government. “We are a little disappointed that we had not been able to hit the ground running after the elections and last week has largely been wasted in gross futility, but we will press on from tomorrow,” Rowley said, adding that he is hoping all members of the new cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday given however the precautions to be undertaken in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Persad-Bissessar in her statement, conceding defeat on Tuesday, said she is “satisfied that the people have spoken and that Dr Rowley and his party” would form the next government.

“I congratulate them and wish them the best. I know that many of you are feeling a sense of disappointment with the election result. I, too, am disappointed with the election and I accept full responsibility for the result.”

In her statement acknowledging defeat, Persad-Bissessar, the first woman to be elected as prime minister, said that she has no intention of stepping down, despite the many calls from within the party for her to do so.

“I have reflected long and hard and have come to the conclusion that in the immediate future I have a key role to play in helping our country heal and move forward, especially with a group of young new vibrant MPs entering the House of Representatives.

“The members of the UNC elected me overwhelmingly as their leader 3 times in the past 10 years; tens of thousands of citizens voted for the party I lead in this year’s general election. Until such a time as our party chooses otherwise, I will remain their faithful champion and servant,” she said. (CMC)