Daly Bread: Mysteries and ongoing manoeuvres of Rowley’s long goodbye

February has arrived. It is a month that is usually the prelude to our annual carnival, which culminates in two days of what used to be ingenious and artistic masquerade, (colloquially known as mas’).

However, some mas’ has introduced a Mardi Gras strut that contains an unwelcome shade or classist vibe.

Surprisingly, February this year, 2025, is related to an additional masquerade. It is one intended partially to disguise matters concerning the intended departure of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley from the office of prime minister and the appointment of the successor whom he is promoting.

What has been revealed so far is that sometime after 19 February, Rowley, currently political leader of the People’s National Movement (the PNM) as well prime minister (PM), intends to resign from the office of prime minister.

We also know that it is Rowley’s fervent desire to install Minister Stuart Young as his successor to the office of PM and to do so by resigning as PM, thereby triggering a vacancy to which he intends that the provisions of section 76 (1) (a) of the Constitution will be applied to appoint Young.

Other than the above elements of Rowley’s departure, there is mystery and smoke screen.

First and foremost, we do not know when the letter in support of Minister Young addressed to the President of the Republic, properly dated contemporaneously with Rowley’s letter of resignation or immediately subsequent to such resignation, will be signed by the PNM Members of the House of Representatives.

Given our history, public trust requires avoiding another firestorm over any undated, postdated, backdated or crassly contrived letter, especially when such a deficient letter will embroil the office of the president in deep suspicion and controversy.

As I remind readers below, the office of president was brought into disrepute in 2021 by shenanigans surrounding an important letter delivered to President’s House. The last thing the office of the president needs is another bacchanal concerning an instrument required to trigger a constitutionally defined process.

Many readers will remember that an Order of Merit List relative to the appointment of a Commissioner of Police was delivered on 11 August 2021 to the office of then president of the republic, Paula Mae Weekes, and was mysteriously withdrawn.

There was allegedly a meeting between an unnamed public official and the then Chair of the Police Service Commission at President’s House on 12 August 2021. Then President Weekes declined to answer the questions: who came to the Office of the President and met or spoke to whom.

At a much earlier time, we had political contention about undated letters of resignation to be signed by members of Parliament at the behest of Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams, founder of the PNM.

I recently warned against creating awkwardness for the President in this matter of a section 76 succession by more letter shenanigans. We really need to pass the stage of that office permitting itself to be drawn into partisan political party manoeuvres.

We are entitled to hold the office of president to a higher standard than the one that currently prevails in partisan politics.

I have no favourite to win the clandestine battle for PNM succession, but the public interest requires that we have a process that is transparent and does not bring the office of the president into disrepute.

Manoeuvres surrounding the intended appointment of Minister Young as prime minister are continuing. It may yet emerge that there have been misrepresentations about the conduct of a straw poll held at the PNM retreat in Tobago in early January, as well as a spread of misinformation about which PNM MPs have subsequently signed something and on what basis.

Last week, I queried the suspiciously expeditious withdrawal of Dr Amery Browne as a candidate for the constituency of Diego Martin West, currently Rowley’s seat.

Apparently the next constituency where withdrawal is an objective is Diego Martin East?

Colm Imbert, the minister of finance, is the incumbent member for that constituency.

If he is “deselected” will he nevertheless, as an incumbent PNM Member of the House of Representatives, sign the necessary letter of support needed to be signed at the time when section 76 is eventually triggered?

More from Wired868

Daly Bread: Change or exchange? Gov’t must address CJ, SEA, panyard model and economic diversification

Our changes of government frequently receive a verdict of “no change only exchange”. The current apparent dead end in the Read more

Dear Editor: Forget red or yellow affiliations, let’s put T&T first

“[…] Trinidad and Tobago belongs to all of us. Patriotism isn’t about red or yellow… It’s about loving this country Read more

Daly Bread: Dear Kamla, 2025—can we shift from “blame and shame” to empathetic governance?

Dear Kamla, Fifteen years ago, at the time of your first election as prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago (PM), Read more

Dear Editor: UNC has opportunity to shift T&T’s political culture—but are they capable?

“[…] The PNM’s defeat was not merely a result of shifting political allegiances but a reflection of deeper dissatisfaction among Read more

Dear Editor: Can T&T hinge its gas future on USA’s political whims and fancies?

“[…] All other requirements being considered equal, the Dragon Gas Field is Trinidad and Tobago’s most feasible option. The obstruction is Read more

Daly Bread: The fix that failed—PNM collapse started with Rowley’s sneaky succession moves

In October last year, almost immediately after a strong intimation in Parliament from then People’s National Movement (PNM) prime minister Read more

Martin Daly

Martin G Daly SC is a prominent attorney-at-law. He is a former Independent Senator and past president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
He is chairman of the Pat Bishop Foundation and a steelpan music enthusiast.