In the wake of a stunning electoral defeat, the People’s National Movement (PNM) has formally requested vote recounts in two Tobago electoral districts following the Tobago People’s Party’s (TPP) unprecedented 15-0 sweep in the January 12 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) confirmed on January 13 that the PNM submitted official requests for recounts in both Darrel Spring/Whim and Scarborough/Mt Grace districts, with both recounts scheduled to commence at 3 pm on the announcement date.
Preliminary results revealed a decisive victory for the TPP, which secured 16,240 votes compared to the PNM’s 10,456. Minor parties received negligible support, with the IDA gathering 181 votes and the UTP merely eight votes. The election recorded 26,885 valid votes with 104 ballots rejected.
Kelvon Morris, PNM candidate for Darrel Spring/Whim and former THA minority leader, indicated via Facebook that he would pursue a recount due to the narrow margin of victory in his district. This district held particular significance as it was the only constituency the PNM had won in the previous December 21 THA election, which resulted in a 14-1 victory for the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
The political landscape in Tobago has undergone significant transformation since the 2021 elections. THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, originally elected under the PDP banner, severed ties with the party in 2022 following political disagreements with leader Watson Duke. In August 2023, thirteen THA members who had been elected under the PDP resigned en masse to establish the TPP. Notably, Duke recently expressed the PDP’s endorsement of the TPP during the January 12 election campaign.