Delmon Baker to Rowley: Call THA Elections Now

Tobago West MP,  & Minister of Tobago Development
Dr. Delmon Baker

“We’re ready. The PP is ready and the TOP (Tobago Organisation of the People) is ready. Tell (THA leader Orville) London to call the elections,” these were the words of Tobago West MP Delmon Baker to the Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in Parliament yesterday. A fiery Barker regurgitated the call of his coalition leader (Kamla Persad Bissessar) to Rowley asking him to instruct the PNM-controlled Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to call the Tobago elections now. 

TOP is hosting a rally at Tobago’s Market Square on Saturday where the 2013 budget is expected to be discussed and PP members are expected to attend. Baker yesterday devoted his budget contribution to attacking the THA and Rowley and shoring up the PP’s stocks where allocations and other concessions for Tobago were concerned.

Quoting from previous addresses by Rowley, he said he had flip-flopped on his statements about Tobago now that elections were in the air and was pretending to be Tobago’s hero in the issue due to his political ambitions.

Baker further said, the PNM was afraid of a forensic audit in Tobago and of calling elections. He also refuted claims made by Dr. Rowley, saying that the THA did received the requisite amount under relevant regulations.  Adding, that Tobagonians need to know what the THA is doing with the money especially as major projects are still unfinished. 

Baker again brought up queries by the Auditor General about sums of money and unspent balances, claiming that the THA is not being truthful about the actually amount on the unspent sums in a a bid to accumulate a large amount to spend for THA elections. Baker said the end of 2012 must mean the end of the PNM in Tobago.

He said Tobagonians loved the TOP and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar. He added while Tobagonians loved and referred to former president ANR Robinson as “ah we boy,” they also loved Persad Bissessar who was regarded as “ah we Prime Minister.” 

PNM MP Paula Gopee-Scoon said Baker was practising for Saturday’s PP rally.