By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) will soon be contesting every election in Trinidad and Tobago declares its political leader Watson Duke.
Duke, whose resignation as president of the Public Services Association PSA comes into effect on Friday, spent his last day at the PSA’s office in Trinidad on Thursday.
He posted a video on social media to commemorate the occasion and admitted feeling a bit of sadness as he cleared out the office he has used for the past few years.
The deputy chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly THA, spoke of his experiences of becoming a young president of such a large union in 2009.
He thanked all his supporters and encouraged the members to support the incoming president Leroy Baptiste.
He spoke highly of Baptiste who he said was like a brother to him and highly committed to the workers’ cause.
Duke said, “As deputy chief secretary and chief secretary of my people, I will continue to speak on workers’ behalf. Workers are the backbone of any country.”
To those who wish to see him fail, Duke said, “To the haters, I say continue hating. You are the wind beneath my wings…There is nothing you can do to weaken me. I was built for this, I was made for this.”
He said, “The PDP will be coming to Trinidad very soon. We intend to contest every election in Trinidad. This is Trinidad. That is Tobago. We must create a new relationship that will see Tobago and Trinidad as real partners, not a senior partner and a junior partner. We want to create true unison that is meaningful and allow all citizens to access every single service.”
He said in the PDP, there were no members but Spartans- a different kind of people with a passion for justice, equality and country.
On December 6, the ruling People’s National Movement PNM in the THA was stunned at the massive defeat by the PDP with a 14-1 outcome.
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi had written to new Chief Secretary Farley Augustine informing him of the law governing the THA and that Duke could not hold two key positions, one in government and one in the union.
Duke tendered his letter of resignation on December 14 to PSA’s Confederate of Delegates, pursuant to Article 47 of the Constitution of the PSA.
