Fight for Farley’s seat

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The area of Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside is one of the prized two seats, the then newly formed Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) prised out of the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) hands in the 2017 THA elections. The other is Roxborough/Delaford electoral district.

The win broke the PNM’s deadlock, gained in 2013 elections when the party won all 12 seats.

Now the PNM wants it back.

They have trained their guns on the PDP’s area representative Farley Chavez Augustine, who beat Marisa Williams to win the seat in 2017.

In Charlotteville on January 16, the PNM’s candidate for Buccoo/Mt Pleasant Ancil Dennis said Farley had not represented the area well. Dennis, who has been Chief Secretary for the past eight months, said Farley had never written to him asking for anything for the constituents.

Duke, on the other hand, Dennis said, sent him “one letter.”

The rural district, which includes Charlotteville—a heavily populated area, is a fishing village on the most easterly end of the island. Thus, winning, the majority of the Charlotteville villagers’ votes is crucial to winning the district.

On December 18, 2020, the PNM opened a long-awaited mini-mall in the village, allowing villagers to become small-scale entrepreneurs. The mall, which began under the Orville London-led regime, was subjected to lawsuits by some villagers.

Charlotteville fishermen have faced numerous challenges with the area’s jetty—it’s lighting, steps and overall maintenance.

The road access to the village has been a problem for years.

Turpin Bend, a double u-turn with a steep incline, was the site of major accidents in 2010, 2012, and 2015.

THA’s infrastructure department met with residents, designed a plan to address the issue and promised to present it to residents for their approval.

Come Monday, the PDP’s Augustine will battle newcomer the PNM’s Rory Dillon for the seat.

According to the Elections and Boundaries Commission in the 2017 elections, the PDP and Tobago Forwards won 56 per cent of the votes and the PNM 43 per cent; 59 per cent of the electorate voted.

This time around, the electorate is slightly higher at 3,772 up from the 2017 figure of 3,650.