Founder and Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, Watson Duke, has written an open letter to his former PDP colleagues and THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, calling for integrity and the reinstatement of the PDP’s mandate.
In the letter, which he shared to his social media pages on Monday morning, Duke reminded Augustine that on October 21st, 2021, they collectively pledged to uphold the principles of integrity, accountability and transparency in their service to the Tobago House of Assembly.
Duke said each of the then 15 candidates signed this contract to lead with honesty and integrity and established a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Duke said Augustine stated then that his focus was on good governance and not on retaining power. However, according to Duke, Augustine’s commitment appeared to waiver in December 2022 when he departed from the PDP to serve as an independent representative.
He said in April 2023, Augustine’s deviation became even more pronounced when he declared himself the interim political leader of the Tobago People’s Party.
Duke said that decision has left Tobagonians feeling betrayed, especially considering the decisive victory of the PDP over the PNM in the December 2021 THA elections.
He said given these circumstances, neither the independents nor the Tobago People’s Party possess the legitimate authority to govern Tobago’s affairs,
Duke said on behalf of Tobagonians, he respectfully appeals to Augustine to reflect on his original mandate within the PDP and reconsider his current path.
He said if this plea goes unanswered, Tobagonians may have no choice but to demand fresh THA elections in 2023