Trinidad and Tobago PM Keith Rowley to resign on March 16, stepping down before term ends

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, has announced March 16, 2025, as the official date of his resignation. He made the announcement during a ceremony on Wednesday morning, where he touted his achievements over a decade in office.  

During the announcement, he said that his People’s National Movement had been instrumental in developing the twin island nation. With this, the Prime Minister is now set to step down before the conclusion of the current legal term.  

He said that his decision was influenced by personal considerations and a desire to allow fresh leadership to emerge within the ruling party. While he did not specify the exact timeline for his departure, Dr Rowley emphasised his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and continued governance for Trinidad and Tobago. 

Dr Rowley had earlier announced that he would not lead his party into the next general election, constitutionally due no later than this summer. He will be handing over the reins of the Government to Energy Minister Stuart Young.  

While making the announcement, the Prime Minister said that before his resignation he will be opening the Central Block of the Port of Spain General Hospital on March 10 and then will be open the new ANR Robinson Airport project on March 15, marking two major developments for the island nation.  

He spoke about the end of his tenure in public service and said that he too is ending his tenure in public service, thankfully, not sadly, but with a certain amount of satisfaction. Rowley reflected on the nature of political life and reminded everyone that it is always temporary.  

The outgoing Prime Minister emphasised that several people in public life do not believe or forget that their service in public life is really for a period, and it does not matter how good one is, how important they think they are, it is all about a specific period.  

He further talked about the challenges of leadership, especially the difficulty of managing national projects with limited resources and noted that the national budgetary process is one where there is never enough to do all the things one wants to do, particularly when they want to do them at the same time. He also compared governance to a conveyor belt and explained that as one project is completed, another one immediately takes its place.