SCARBOROUGH, Tobago (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley Friday announced that he would be resigning from office “before the end of the legal  limits of this term” that is due to end by August this year.

Speaking at a news conference, Rowley, 75, told reporters that he had always indicated his intention to step down from politics after 45 years in public life.

“I am here with my colleagues this weekend and one of the things that they will be told is that I will not be offering myself again to represent anyone either in Trinidad or in Tobago.  Forty five years is a long time.

“I would like at this time to say thank you, appropriately along the way to all those who have supported my efforts and to have benefitted from I hope I have positively impacted this country somewhere, sometime,” he added.

Rowley said while he would continue to be the political leader of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) as it prepares for the general elections due in August, he would not be putting himself up as a candidate for the Diego Martin West seat which he has represented in Parliament since 1991.

“I will thank them appropriately and ensure they are not left adrift, but I will not be offering myself as I just said, and I will say something else before the end of the legal limits of this term I will resign this office and go off to my family,” Rowley said, ending the news conference.