Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley bumped elbows with and spoke to new Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and deputy Chief Secretary Watson Duke while congratulating them after their appointments yesterday.
When Duke was sworn in as deputy Chief Secretary yesterday afternoon, he repeated the prescribed oath to “bear true faith and allegiance to Trinidad and Tobago.”
But earlier in the morning when he was sworn in as a THA Assemblyman, he’d changed the wording of the oath to say, “bear true faith and allegiance to Tobago and Trinidad.”
President Paula-Mae Weekes administered the oath of office to the new THA members, witnessed by Rowley and Chief Justice Ivor Archie.
This followed Monday’s 14-1 landslide victory by Duke’s Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) over the Tobago unit of Rowley’s People’s National Movement (PNM).
PNM Tobago Council leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine was not present at the function.
Rowley wore a blue suit with touches of PNM’s signature red in his shirt, tie and socks. Duke and other PDP members wore touches of the PDP’s signature green with their shirts or ties.
At the first leg of yesterday’s event at the Magdalena Grand hotel, the oath of office was administered to all 14 PDP members starting with Augustine.
The PNM’s lone representative Kelvon Morris (Darryl Spring/Whim) was sworn in also.
Morris, as well as Augustine and the 12 other PDP candidates, swore to “bear true faith and allegiance to Trinidad and Tobago, to uphold the Constitution and the law and conscientiously and impartially discharge the duties and responsibilities” of an Assemblyman.
On completion of their oaths of office, President Weekes, in a brief address to the gathering, said the members were limited to one guest due to COVID restrictions.
Weekes added, “I hope the limited number in no way detracts from what should be the joy and awe of the undertaking of what you entered this morning.
“The work has now started. You have a long and perhaps arduous road ahead. May all your endeavours meet with success and I wish you well.”
In the second part of the function at the THA legislature building, defeated PDP Darryl Spring/Whim candidate Abby Taylor was elected Assembly Presiding Officer.
Successful candidate Joel Sampson (Bon Accord/Crown Point) was elected deputy Presiding Officer.
With presiding officers in place, Duke then nominated Augustine as Chief Secretary.
Augustine took the oath of office for that post and was congratulated by Weekes, Rowley and Archie, who all spoke briefly to him. Augustine gave Rowley a brief pat on the back after a bounce of elbows.
Augustine then nominated Duke for the post of deputy Chief Secretary.
Duke was similarly congratulated by Weekes, Rowley and Archie, who spoke to him also.
Morris, who was sworn in as THA Minority leader, was congratulated by all three also.
The PDP’s councillors who were sworn into office were Tashia Borris and Orlando Kerr.
The third councillor, Certica Orr, will be sworn in today.
The PNM’s councillor, who also took the oath of office, was Petal Daniel-Benoit.
This morning, Rowley and Archie are also scheduled to be present at a function where new THA Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries will assume the 10 THA portfolios. Weekes will address the gathering at 10 am.
PDP officials said Wednesday Duke will not be getting the Finance and Economy portfolio and Augustine might be appointed to that post. —Gail Alexander