London Says: PM Can't Trigger THA Election.

Chief Secretary of Tobago House of Assembly, Orville London

The Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is presumptuous in trying to force the hand of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in calling  an early THA election, said Chief Secretary Orville London. He was responding to her (Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar) call last night made at a gathering at her private residence in Phillipine, South Trinidad. 

Orville London stated that only the THA has that power. He took a political jab at the Peoples Partnership saying that the Prime Minister and her Government was only good at diversionary tactics in an attempt to sway the citizenry away from pressing issues of the country, especially as it relates to Section 34 fiasco and the public outcry that resulted. He further noted "That neither the Prime Minister, Minister (Herbert) Volney, Minister (Jack) Warner or any other member of her Cabinet has in fact said anything to convince the public that there was not some sinister motive behind the decision to have the clause enacted."

London stressed the Prime Minister has not told the country why there seems to be in her Cabinet a clear distinction between what he called the "dispensables" and the "untouchables".

"Because you get that feeling that in the Cabinet the dispensables are the people you can throw to the public to give the impression that you are firm, that you are strong, that you have integrity. The untouchables will do the same thing or worse, and nothing happens," London said.

According to the THA Act 40 of 1996, the Tobago House of Assembly has no less than two months and no more than three months in which to call the election, but the Chief Secretary reminded the Prime Minister that the election cannot be triggered by her, nor is he hoping she will attempt to impose her will on the people of Tobago and the THA.

"I think the Prime Minister is a little presumptuous, quite honestly, to be telling us in the THA that we should call elections. The election will be called when the THA as an institution believes that we will set the date, and then the President will call the election after consultation," London Said.