- 2 days ago
Following the TPP victory on Monday evening, let's hear from Tobago politician and PDP leader Watson Duke.
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00:00connect with us on facebook at tv6 trinidad and tobago on x using the handle at tv6 tnt
00:13on instagram hashtag tv6 tnt and via our website www.tv6tnt.com well following the tpp victory
00:25last evening let's say from tobago politician and pdp leader watson duke good evening mr duke
00:31thank you for joining us on the tv6 news good afternoon ma'am good afternoon good evening
00:38good evening tobago well you said the pdp would not contest the th elections but instead
00:44campaign for the tpp what changed for you over that time and how exactly was that done
00:50in the progressive democratic patriots we live by the philosophy that tobago must win and
01:01if we were to compete with each other the pdp and the tpp it would have damaged the voting resource
01:12and so much create an opportunity for the seats to be shared among the house and also a chance
01:20that the pnm could mobilize and run through the middle so therefore we in the pdp chose to support
01:28failure gusting not an easy decision i must say not an easy decision but when we look at tobago and
01:35where tobago is we just needed to complete that leg of the revolution which is to get the balisee house
01:43out of tobago to where it belong in trindad now do you expect the pdp to be rewarded for not splitting
01:51the votes and where does that leave watson duke well i'm just watson duke i mean my knee carries a lot
01:58of weight based on the circles in which it is spoken but i'm ready to serve tobago and trendad and more
02:06so in any capacity that utilizes my skill set how's your relationship with mr farley it's good it's good
02:14it's good you know i mean we're not friends but we have a good healthy relationship right you think you
02:20could work with him again of course i mean we have worked together for many years i was the one
02:26to introduce him to the politics and that kind of stuff i was the one who gave me mike and said speak
02:31i was the one who voted for him to become the chief secretary on which time he's not on my time still
02:37until he's sworn in he's still on the pdp time so we have a good relationship and that must be noted for
02:43what it is we talk we laugh we we exchange blows with each other times but a healthy good relationship
02:51so how confident are you that the new administration will be inclusive and open to differing voices
02:59well i'm not sure i will not judge a book by its cover um i will simply want to hear their remarks and
03:06see the trajectory that mr augustine is setting for his team and tobago and what about the checks
03:15and balances that are needed now to assure accountability in fatigue like i tell you i
03:21went to a funeral this evening rather and um people were saying there that they will not sit down
03:29and allow power to get to their heads they will speak out social media is now the new newspapers for
03:36persons are commenting on issues and as long as the media keep putting the relevant information up
03:43people in tobago will have their comments to say on that and of course the big question autonomy for
03:50tobago what's your vision for that kind of economic independence well first of all let me say that the
03:58pdp we speak self-determination and not autonomy autonomy is a choice determination is a plethora of choices
04:09where the people choose which one suits them best nevertheless for to before tobago can gain
04:15autonomy or realizes full self-determination it must first get rid of the trinidad party coming to tobago
04:24to lead its people and i think we did that so i think we are fully well known on our part to gain
04:32self-determination pnm was the biggest key pack for tobago's self-determination and you expect to get
04:40what you're speaking about from the current unc government not without a fight i mean they will not just
04:47give away something that's valuable but i i believe with strong arguments and um good negotiation skills
04:55we would be able to get what we deem quite necessary to move tobago in the right direction
05:02towards a prosperous and successful self-determination so you think it would be easier to work with this
05:08government than it was as you're seeing with the former government i will not say yes i will not say no
05:14but i'll say this um could i call it kamala 2.0 i should refer to herself is not the same prime
05:20minister back then she's very alert she's very intelligent uh forthright so there's no easiness in
05:27negotiating tobago's um right to develop its own economic social and cultural development so there
05:35will be some problems there i guess but i know definitely there is a willingness to work with tobago and
05:41that is what we are going forward that willingness to work with tobago because our demands may come
05:47across as unreasonable and their demands may come across as unreasonable so it has to be a meeting
05:52up the road but definitely the conversation will take place and can you give us your closing remarks
05:58on last night's victory did you expect such a defeat from the moment um my good colleague and i met and
06:07we spoke and i said okay what's happening okay let's do this and we decide on the battle strategy
06:14the battle strategy i know must work and would have reaped this results of course there were moments
06:21when i saw the pain and gaining some momentum and i said look we have to watch this and i put in the
06:26energy and uh my colleague finally put in the energy and together it shows what unity can do and that's one
06:32thing coming out of this election that tobago has realized is that unity among people even though
06:39that those are not friends can definitely mean betterment for all of us in tobago well thank you
06:46very much mr duke for joining us tonight and giving us a very vibrant interview thank you
06:52thank you
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