As a politician with over 40 years’ experience, Dr Keith Rowley knows full well that everything he says publicly is meticulously scrutinised; even more so now that he is a sitting prime minister one year before a general election is constitutionally due.
This is precisely why his recent statement in Parliament, in which he hinted at his imminent departure from politics, will not slip silently into the night.
Since then, Dr Rowley has gone quiet while senior members of his People’s National Movement remain mum on the issue.
But who could forget the Prime Minister’s own poetic description of himself as a “swan” who had run his course, had done his duty, and indeed was just about ready to finish his own race.
He even went as far as to thank House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George, saying it has been a pleasure working with her, in a further suggestion his political end was near.
This begs the question, why now, given that as Prime Minister, Dr Rowley has until November 2025 to ring the proverbial election bell?
Dr Rowley’s unsolicited farewell speech, though not his first hint of a pending departure, bore much more finality this time around and came coupled with the sudden and mysterious cancellation of the PNM’s internal elections and convention one day later, leading citizens to several conclusions.
One is that all is definitely not well at Balisier House and in the absence of a report from 74-year-old Dr Rowley on his recent medical check-up in the US, our prime minister may also be physically unwell. We sincerely hope not!
In the meantime, the country is already asking if not Rowley, then who will lead the PNM?
What’s more, it remains to be seen if Dr Rowley will have the final say on this matter or whether other internal forces within the ruling party will prevail.
As much as the PNM does not have a history of washing its dirty linen in public, there are already very public signs of internal rumblings over his choice of Energy Minister Stuart Young, who he left to act as prime minister on the last two occasions he was out of state, as his ‘heir apparent’.
We suspect that not everyone will agree with Dr Rowley’s choice. In fact, we have already reported the views of those PNM stalwarts who believe there are more suitable grassroots politicians capable of leading the party in and out of general elections.
Still, there can be no ruling out Dr Rowley at this stage, even if he has more explaining to do about his future political intentions.
If indeed he was simply testing the waters by announcing a pending retirement, to get a raw, honest view of how his party would react, then it is as clever as it is dangerous a move by him.
Such feedback would give him enough information to choose his next course wisely.
But with ambitions running high in the party, the PNM now risks entering an election year with cloaks and daggers within its own camp.
Time is therefore closing in on Dr Rowley to clear the air on whether he intends to lead the party to the polls, or to find a successor who is capable of keeping the PNM united.
Will he stay or will he go?
Time will certainly tell.