In Tobago’s recent House of Assembly elections, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine expressed unwavering confidence in his party’s performance despite an initial voting hurdle. Augustine, who leads the Tobago People’s Party (TPP), misplaced his national identification card but successfully voted using an affirmation process at the Speyside Anglican School polling station on January 12.
Augustine described the voting procedure as remarkably smooth despite his missing ID. Election officials verified his identity through photographic records in their binders, effectively distinguishing between him and his father who shares the same name. The chief secretary commended the efficiency of the electoral system during this incident.
Addressing media representatives after casting his ballot, Augustine projected a decisive victory for his party, anticipating a complete 15-0 sweep against opposition candidates. He attributed this confidence to the TPP’s comprehensive development blueprint aligned with United Nations sustainable development goals. This strategic plan aims to position Tobago as a competitive small island development state while addressing unique challenges including climate change impacts and global economic pressures.
Augustine dismissed the recently installed US military radar at ANR Robinson International Airport as a significant electoral issue. Despite previous controversies surrounding the AN/TPS-80 ground/air task-oriented radar system, the chief secretary asserted that Tobagonians were more concerned with practical matters including youth unemployment, representative accountability, and environmental considerations rather than geopolitical installations.
The leader emphasized that Tobago residents typically engage more actively in local assembly elections than national general elections, believing the assembly’s operations more directly impact their daily lives. Augustine concluded that democratic processes necessarily involve competing ideologies but remained optimistic about his party’s vision for transforming Tobago into ‘the greatest little island on the planet.’