分类： politics

The upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election on January 12, 2026, is poised to serve as a crucial political barometer for Trinidad and Tobago’s transformed political environment. This electoral contest will not only gauge support for Farley Augustine’s emerging Tobago People’s Party (TPP) but also indirectly reflect on Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s United National Congress (UNC) and Penny Beckles’ People’s National Movement (PNM).

Watson Duke’s December 8 endorsement of the TPP, while politically predictable, raises questions about his current influence. His advocacy for tactical voting to eliminate PNM from Tobago governance echoes broader political strategies gaining traction. Duke asserts that consecutive defeats of PNM—first by the PDP in December 2021 and potentially by the TPP in the upcoming election—would confirm the party’s diminished prospects in Tobago.

The political rhetoric surrounding ‘Tobago’s interests first’ mirrors the UNC’s ‘Trinidad first’ positioning, which itself reflects the populist nationalism reminiscent of Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ approach. This occurs amid Trinidad and Tobago’s shifting international alignments toward Trump-leaning Latin American nations rather than traditional Caricom partnerships.

Major political parties demonstrate concerning positions regarding international affairs. The UNC maintains silence on Trump-related matters, the TPP claims ignorance of US political developments, and the PNM operates as if the public has forgotten their decade-long governance.

The evolving political landscape will face multiple tests throughout 2026. Crime prevention strategies will undergo scrutiny as emergency measures expire and new legislation takes effect. The UNC’s management of Carnival events will reveal administrative capabilities, while mid-year fiscal reviews will test economic management against a five-year development plan potentially influenced by foreign policy decisions.

Foreign policy orientations and climate crisis responses will increasingly define the nation’s trajectory. While 2025 represented a historic political shift, 2026 may prove even more consequential in determining Trinidad and Tobago’s future direction within this reconfigured political order.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s administration is facing scrutiny over its reversal on traffic penalty policies, with government supporters mounting a vigorous defense of the controversial measures. The policy shift, which saw certain traffic fines increased by December 2025, represents a significant departure from campaign promises made in April 2024 when the opposition leader pledged reductions.

The justification for this policy reversal centers on deteriorating road safety conditions throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Official reports indicate a troubling escalation in reckless driving behavior and persistently high traffic fatalities, with 109 road deaths recorded within the year preceding the policy change. This alarming statistic prompted what government advocates characterize as necessary and decisive intervention.

In an editorial communication, Leisha S Dhoray argues that true leadership necessitates adaptability when confronting emerging public safety crises. The correspondence emphasizes that the Prime Minister’s response demonstrates courageous governance rather than political inconsistency, noting that circumstances had fundamentally changed since the original campaign commitment.

The defense further contends that substantial penalties serve as essential deterrents in jurisdictions worldwide that prioritize road safety. The administration maintains that the primary objective remains saving lives rather than political point-scoring, with the measures representing a proportionate response to what officials have classified as a national safety emergency.

Regarding criticisms about fine magnitudes, the position asserts that meaningful deterrence requires financially significant penalties. The communication concludes that responsible driving eliminates any burden of increased fines, positioning the policy as ultimately placing public welfare above political convenience.

In her New Year’s Day address, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles articulated the People’s National Movement’s strategic roadmap for 2026, emphasizing organizational preparation and structural renewal as core priorities. The first female political leader in PNM’s history declared the party’s fundamental objective involves rebuilding public trust in governance while ensuring optimal management of national resources for all citizens’ benefit.

Beckles, who assumed leadership responsibilities in 2025 following the PNM’s electoral defeat, underscored her solemn duty to advocate for Trinidad and Tobago’s populace and maintain governmental accountability. The April 28 general election had resulted in a significant political shift, with the United National Congress securing 26 parliamentary seats against PNM’s 13, alongside two seats captured by the Third Party Platform.

The Opposition Leader acknowledged profound national challenges throughout the past year, citing escalating living expenses, economic volatility, struggling small enterprises, and persistent criminal activity affecting citizens’ security. These realities, she emphasized, necessitate responsible leadership, clear vision, and reinvigorated dedication to national interests.

Beckles reaffirmed her commitment to standing alongside citizens in defending their dignity and right to governance that serves rather than exploits. While recognizing the seriousness of existing challenges, she expressed confidence that disciplined leadership and national unity could overcome these obstacles.

The New Year’s message highlighted the unique global moment where cultures, borders, and beliefs converge in shared anticipation of improved circumstances. Beckles extended greetings to domestic and international citizens, along with Caribbean and global communities, urging purposeful advancement into 2026 with collective dedication to creating a safer, more equitable, and prosperous Trinidad and Tobago.

In a landmark ruling that exposes significant administrative failures within Trinidad and Tobago’s defense establishment, High Court Justice Kevin Ramcharan has ordered the state to pay $175,000 in damages to Coast Guard Lieutenant (Naval) Chevon Diaz for unlawfully denying his promotion. The December 30 judgment revealed that flawed performance evaluations and unsubstantiated allegations regarding a missing weapon were improperly utilized to hinder Diaz’s career advancement.

The court determined that Diaz, an 18-year veteran of the TT Coast Guard (TTCG), was unjustly bypassed for promotion to acting lieutenant commander due to irrelevant and unsupported claims that contaminated decisions affecting his seniority, compensation, and professional trajectory. Justice Ramcharan delivered a sharply critical assessment of the evidence presented by the state, particularly questioning the affidavit testimony of then-Coast Guard commanding officer Captain Don Polo (now Chief of Defence Staff), which demonstrated repeated claims of ignorance regarding matters directly within his purview.

Central to the case was a 2018 incident involving a missing firearm. The court established that Diaz was not in command of the vessel when the weapon disappeared and that a rating outside his crew was responsible. Since no finding of guilt was ever made against Diaz, the judge ruled that his seniority could not legally be impacted and that negative appraisals connected to the incident should not have been used to penalize him.

Justice Ramcharan expressed particular concern about the quality of the defense’s evidence, noting: ‘On several occasions, Capt Polo averred that he could not admit or deny certain allegations because it was not within his knowledge. Clearly that cannot be true. He must know about matters concerning him. Therefore, the court views Capt Polo’s averments with respect to those issues very skeptically.’

The court established that Diaz should have been promoted to acting lieutenant commander on September 15, 2017—exactly six years after his appointment as lieutenant—and to the substantive rank on September 15, 2020, aligning with previous High Court precedent regarding promotion timelines.

Regarding Diaz’s claim for the Efficiency Medal, which requires 12 years of ‘irreproachable’ service, the court determined that while the standard exceeds mere absence of convictions, the weapons incident could not have tarnished Diaz’s reputation since he was not responsible. The judge ordered reconsideration of the medal decision based solely on relevant factors, though stopped short of directly awarding the medal.

The court awarded Diaz $100,000 in compensatory damages and $75,000 in vindicatory damages, plus 2.5% annual interest from the claim date until judgment, along with legal costs. Attorneys Arden Williams and Mariah Ramrattan successfully represented Diaz in both judicial review and constitutional proceedings against the Coast Guard commanding officer, the Defence Force Commissions Board, and the Attorney General.