Trinidad and Tobago’s First Female President Sworn Into Office

President Paula-Mae Weekes, the first woman to hold the office in
Trinidad and Tobago.                                                                        

On Monday, Paula-Mae Weekes became Trinidad and Tobago’s sixth and its first female president.

Weekes, who previously worked in the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions office of the as an attorney, took her oath of office in front of a large crowd that included members of the Trinidadian Parliament and Government of Ministers.

During her speech to the citizens of the twin-island nation, the new head of state spoke about issues that have been plaguing the country, according to Caribbean360.

“[Trinidad and Tobago] is perilously close to the point of no return”, with crime, corruption, racism, abysmal public services and an ineffective judicial system, among other problems, so thick on the ground that all hope is lost, and the country had two choices: “Option 1 – We can lament, blame, criticise and allow a miasma of despair to overwhelm us or Option 2 we can consciously and intentionally choose the alternative,” Weekes said.

Facebook’s global chief diversity officer, Maxine Williams, who’s from the country, congratulated Weekes.

“Congratulations to President Paula-Mae Weekes, the first woman to hold the office in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Williams. “The thing about ‘firsts’ is that they are bitter sweet.”