Sean Astwood former Deputy Leader of the country and also of his party the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) is returning to frontline politics as an island-wide (At-Large) candidate.
Astwood, who once held the Five Cays Constituency, which later landed him the Minister of Immigration Portfolio, said his main reasons for re-entering elective politics stem from the what he sees as the degradation plummet of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the mounting voices from members of the public urging him to get back into the political ring.
He made his return formal by submitting his candidacy to the party on Wednesday.
The following is the full statement from the former minister regarding his impending return:
My fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders,
I am of the mindset that one can serve one’s country in other ways apart from holding a political office. Therefore, In the years since I last held public office, I have continued to be involved in our community, working with local organizations, and volunteering my time to help those in need. During this time, I have worked closely with the leadership of the PDM assisting where needed. My desire for making a positive impact in our community has never wavered.
During these years, and even moreso recently, I am constantly approached by our people expressing their wishes for me to re-enter frontline politics. They have expressed their extreme disappointment in the direction of which our country is headed with a government that is completely out of touch.
Unfortunately, these past two and a half plus years under the current government have been disastrous for our country. With a record number of murders, mostly our young men, unprecedented number of sloop arrivals, an influx of illegal immigrants reaching our shores and a government that has proven that they cannot stop the sloops. We are also seeing record numbers of Turks & Caicos Islanders relocating to other countries and an increased numbers of our students not interested in returning home after finishing their studies.
Our healthcare system is in shambles and continues to deteriorate, there has been no real progress on the delivery of E-Government, a labour policy that has not been strengthened which has Turks and Caicos Islanders feeling more marginalized than they have ever felt before. We have a myriad of problems, and our Country is in a downward spiral. Unfortunately, our current Government’s approach to all the chaos occurring in our country is to remain silent, bury their heads in the sand and hope these issues either resolve themselves or the people get tired of voicing their concerns.
I am deeply committed to the values that have always guided my political career: integrity, transparency, and a dedication to the common good. I believe that we are even more now in need of leaders who are willing to put Turks and Caicos Islanders first. With a fully resourced focus effort to solve the pressing challenges facing our people. Despite the result of the last elections, I have a proven record of delivering results throughout the ministries and departments under my management and an unparalleled record of visionary representation, transformation, and redevelopment as the representative for Five Cays, South Dock & Chalk Sound Constituency.
As we embark on this new phase of developing our country, I am more committed than ever to bringing people together and finding common ground. There is much work to be done, from addressing crime, immigration reform, the housing crisis and improving access to healthcare, to advancing economic opportunity for our citizens, implementation of E-Government across the public sector, true constitutional advancement and most of all restoring hope to our people.
These issues are just some that have been instrumental in me reconsidering returning to frontline politics. Listening to and learning from the diverse perspectives of those of you around our Country who have reached out to me insisting that I return was extremely important in my deliberations. With that, I am happy to announce that I have, as of 1pm today, August 23rd, 2023, submitted my application to the People’s Democratic Movement to run in the upcoming elections as an All-Island Candidate.
I am excited and eager to face the challenges ahead and help revolutionize the way our Country is managed. I am prepared to roll up my sleeves and get to work with the next PDM administration, under the Leadership of Hon. Edwin Astwood. I would be honoured to have the opportunity to serve you once again.
When deciding whether I should return to frontline politics one of my favorite quotes came to mind. It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. I know the current state of affairs in our Country does not reflect the hopes and dreams that our electorate envisioned when they voted on February 19th, 2021. Therefore, if you want to predict a better future it is simply up to you to create it.
I look forward to your continued prayers and support as we together revolutionize the way our Country is ran. It’s time to believe again!
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