The United National Congress (UNC), having secured a decisive victory in last April’s general election with a 29-12 parliamentary majority, followed by a clean sweep of all 15 seats in the January 12 Tobago House of Assembly election by its Tobago allies, now faces mounting criticism over its administrative practices. Despite this commanding mandate, concerns have emerged regarding the apparent conflation of party and state functions.
Over the past month, multiple government ministers have chosen to deliver official policy announcements from the UNC’s party headquarters in Chaguanas rather than from government offices. This practice, while common when the party was in opposition, has raised eyebrows now that the UNC holds governmental power. The briefings have featured prominent cabinet members including Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers, Housing Minister David Lee, Transport Minister Eli Zakour, and several others, all speaking from party premises flanked by both national and party flags.
Journalists have reported difficulties in accessing these events, with many briefings announced merely as online occurrences without clear venue information until the last moment. Notably, only a January 14 briefing by Attorney General John Jeremie and Minister of Lands Saddam Hosein was conducted at an appropriate government ministry.
When questioned about this blending of party and government functions, UNC Public Relations Officer Dr. Kirk Meighoo offered a straightforward defense: ‘Our members form the government and that is government policy. The UNC forms the government. We were voted in by the majority and that is how democracy works.’
However, editorial analysis suggests that if the previous administration had similarly conducted government business from PNM headquarters, the UNC would have undoubtedly criticized such practices. The current approach raises important questions about institutional separation between governing party and state apparatus, with advocates emphasizing that utilizing proper government offices for official announcements would better serve democratic norms and transparency in Trinidad and Tobago.