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Businessman Charles Washington Misick led the Progressive National Party (PNP) to a landslide 14 to 1 victory over the incumbent People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) in the Turks and Caicos Islands general elections on Friday, February 19th, 2021.
Supervisor of Elections Dudley Lewis confirmed on Saturday January 20th that the PNP won 9 of the 10 electoral district seats and all 5 of the At Large seats.
PDM leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, who was elected the country’s first female premier in 2016, lost her seat. Former health minister Edwin Astwood who won the Grand Turk South seat was the only successful PDM candidate.
The 70-year-old Misick is a former chief minister and brother of former premier Michael Misick.
During a pre-Election Day virtual rally on the night of Thursday, February 18th, Misick said “every survey in the last two weeks points to a PNP victory”.
He told viewers he will be sworn in as the next premier on Monday, then on Tuesday he will submit the names of Cabinet ministers to Governor Nigel Dakin and have a “fully-functioning” PNP government by Wednesday.
“I can feel victory in my bones! I can appreciate, and I am thankful, for the confidence that I see that you the people of TCI are willing to place in my leadership and the PNP,” Misick said.
“We are about to witness the end of an ineffective government whose meandering has left you demoralized, but take courage because you have a reason now to hope and that hope is because of the vote that you will mark for the Progressive National Party (PNP),” he said, adding that Monday, February 22nd, 2021 will be a “red letter day” for the Turks and Caicos Islands. It will be the day in the life of a new government, a new PNP and this new PNP government will bring new hope to our people.”
The PNP leader continued: “You’ve heard us for the last couple of months. We’ve invested a lot of time i putting together a winning team, a performing team. The PDM has out maneuvered themselves, they’ve overstayed their welcome and betrayed your trust and now it is time for them to be paid back. I want you to go to the polls and with coldness and boldness, vote the PDM into oblivion. We come for this work. We know the work is difficult, but I promise you we are prepared. We come for this work to ensure that none of you are left behind…..We plan to turbo-charge this economy to ensure that jobs are created.
