Dr. Keith Rowley will be sworn-in tomorrow, Wednesday, at 1:30pm, as the new prime minister of Trinidad & Tobago. The Oath of Office will be administered by President Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona. On Monday, Sep. 7, Rowley led the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) to victory by winning 22 or 23 of 41 parliamentary seats in the nation’s general election. Trinidad & Tobago’s first female prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her People’s Partnership (PP) won the other 18 or 19 parliamentary seats. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar conceded near midnight.

In  her concession speech,  Persad-Bissessar reminded the nation that the PP won the majority of national votes although it failed to get the majority of parliamentary seats. The outgoing prime minister said that she looks forward to serve the nation in her new capacity, Leader of the Opposition.

The then Opposition Leader Keith Rowley and then Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar in a demonstration of national unity and political maturity at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.

Incoming prime minister Dr.  Keith Rowley said his first order of business is to present the national budget constitutionally due by the end of September. Rowley is the second person from Tobago to become prime minister of Trinidad & Tobago. It was his first national campaign as leader of the PNM and he brought the party to victory. Trinidad & Tobago achieved independence on August 31, 1962 under a PNM Government.

Hundreds of Trinbagonians residing in New York who are members of various political parties in Trinidad & Tobago flew to Trinidad & Tobago to vote.