The news that Watson Duke, the fiery leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), has thrown his support behind the Tobago People's Party (TPP) and Chief Secretary Farley Chavez Augustine is a new twist in the politics of Tobago.
This is the continuation of the story of a dramatic breakup that led to the two being opposed to each other in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) over the last five years.
For the PDP and TPP to form a unified force again for the January 12 THA election, the two would have to fix the deep, bitter personal fight that tore them apart.
Duke has so far played it down, saying he has never truly been against the politics of the TPP. His main adversary, he noted, remains the People's National Movement, a common rival of the PDP and TPP.
Duke's perspective aside, the records show that the split was one fuelled by a public power struggle that didn't end in his favour - a clash that broke the back of the PDP’s revolutionary mandate, leaving Duke isolated and creating instability in the THA.
This new move by Duke seems targeted at bringing the party’s original grassroots energy to the TPP.
The main idea for both sides is still the same; that is, that Tobago must have its own power.
Augustine has not yet committed to an alliance but has not dismissed Duke's olive branch.
However, if this is to impact the next election, both men must smartly use their strengths while urgently sorting out their issues over personality and power.
Still, a serious question must be asked by the electorate: Does Duke still have the political juice to deliver significant gains?
After the devastating split, the PDP’s island and national profile has shrunk.
The party failed to capture any seats in the last General Election, suggesting its power is heavily localised and may have faded even in Tobago since the 2021 victory.
Duke’s actual vote-pulling power is untested since his Assemblymen defected from the PDP.
Augustine will, therefore, have to determine the level of risk associated with the TPP aligning itself with Duke, whose true grassroots support may be a shadow of its former self.
With Augustine's party solidly established, it is Duke who stands to gain most from this renewed partnership.
Having lost his executive role and seen his party fracture, aligning with the TPP could help Duke secure a future role that keeps him in the public eye, a better outcome than facing the political wilderness alone.
More than that, the issue of trust and loyalty must be fixed openly if a partnership is to work, given that the original split was defined by accusations of backstabbing.
Ultimately, any Duke/TPP alignment might be a golden chance to consolidate the progressive vote, but only if the TPP believes it cannot win big again on its own.
The success of a united front would, therefore, depend entirely on whether these two powerful men can convince Tobagonians that they will be not only a stronger force together to win an election, but a necessary force to take Tobago forward.
Tobago is watching closely to see if personal pride can finally take a back seat to the serious business of governing the island.
