Tobago Constitutional Reform a Political Scam

And the Game of Political Football continues, while the people of Tobago Suffers! Another Non Useful Exercise of Constitutional Ole Talk begins, courtesy, Minister Baker through the Ministry of Tobago Development. So Go ahead Tobago, indulge your self, be kicked like the Football you have settled to become, and when the game is ended, you'll recognized that you have lost the match in a worst manner than Brazil's shameful defeat.

Its only a week after branding the Constitutional reform (which was accepted by the Prime Minister) as illegal, that the Ministry of Tobago Development is seeking to present and initiate another design to engaged Tobagonians in the same process that was concluded mere months ago, and to which they categorically refused to be part of.  What sort of Duplication of effort is this? What sort of Wastage is this? both of time and resources! What sort of Tobagonian are you? This is Scandalous and Tobago must WAKE UP! Constitutional Reform has become a Political Game, and your well-being and future remains in the doldrums, because of some Over-Educated, Egocentric Few. 

Tobago, the only way out and forward is a resounding unified front. But this unified front does not exist in the leadership of any Political Party, it rests in the hands of the Masses, NGO's and other non partisan groups whom they have used and reused (for political expediency) over and over again. Time enough to send a resounding 'no nonsense' message, to those bent on keeping the island of Tobago in an everlasting state of Underdevelopment. Let them know that you are not prepared to compromise your future nor your children's future at the expense of these never ending Political Wars. Let them know that you are not prepared to sit idly by and be tossed like a 'shaft which the wind driveth away'. 

Stand up for your Rights, Stand up for your Future and your Children's Future. Let Your Voices be Heard. Stand up and Defend your Dignity and your Island against these Political Soucouyants.    

Tobago House of Assembly Now Threatened by Simple Majority Changes

THE Tobago House of Assembly stands threatened by the proposed constitutional changes laid in Parliament last Monday by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, THA Chief Secretary, Orville London said yesterday. 

Debate began on the bill yesterday in the House of Representatives.

In a statement yesterday, London said while the Assembly is protected in the constitution and cannot be disbanded without a two-thirds majority, the clauses in the THA Act which give the THA “teeth and credibility”  can be changed with a simple majority.

Persad-Bissessar is being criticised by a cross-section of political and civic voices over the proposed changes, which could make history in local politics by introducing the right of recall for MPs and more contentiously, a run-off system at elections that she said will ensure proportional representation. 

The possibility of sweeping changes with a simple majority has troubled London, who said: “We in Tobago have got to ask ourselves what happens to us if this Government or any future Government just gets up one day and says this thing called the THA, we don’t think it should exist anymore, we don’t think it should exist in that state, let’s change it and that would be end of the THA as we know it.”

London said it is in this context that Tobagonians need to “think back” to a week before the January 2013 THA election, “when there was a big charade about a THA Act being carried before the Parliament”.

Now, almost two years after the election, there has not been a single a “single peep” from the Prime Minister, London said.

He claimed, however, that the authority of the THA is being systematically eroded by the Ministry of Tobago Development and other ministries in central government, mostly with the “collusion or the instruction of the Prime Minister”.

“Tobagonians have got to send the signal very loud and clear that they will not be prepared to accept a situation where the rights and even the gains of the past are eroded and that they are thwarted in their efforts to get what Tobago has deserved for so many decades,” London said.

On Wednesday 6th August, 2014, London told media at the weekly post Executive Council media briefing that the constitutional amendments proposed by Persad-Bissessar is a signal that she and her team are not averse to forcing their views down the throats of the people of Trinidad and Tobago it suits the People’s Partnership’s political purposes. 

London said then he was concerned that what is being placed before the House for debate did not come from the people under circumstances where the whole issue was put before the population.

 He said it is “obvious” the proposed changes were meant to further the interests of the Prime Minister and her team.

London is urging Tobagonians to understand the significance of the current review of the THA.

Source:expresstrinidad

Tobago Unsatisfied with Constitutional Reform Talks

One contributor walked out of the national consultation on constitutional reform on Monday at Signal Hill Secondary School, Tobago.
Many Tobagonians had expressed disappointment no mention of Tobago was evident in the first report issued on December 27.
However, chairman of the Constitution Reform Commission and Minister of Legal Affairs Prakash Ramadhar said the decision was made to leave Tobago out of the report as talks were held with Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London, who indicated a process was already in train towards changes to be made to THA Act 40 of 1996.
But Ehioze Adunbi walked out following his contribution on Monday. He expressed disappointment in the process, stating the commission was playing with the minds of Tobagonians.
The issue of same-sex relationships, the banning of fireworks, more power to the president, and the age of the assistant commissioner of police sent to Tobago were just some of the topical views brought to the fore by various speakers.
Adunbi called on Tobagonians to tell Trinidad shape up or ship out as Tobago continues to not be treated equally.
He said Tobago continues to contribute greatly to the GDP (gross domestic product) of the country and equity is not received in return.

Tobago to begin Constitutional Reform Talks

A national consultation on the draft report of the Constitutional Reform Commission will be held at the Signal Hill Secondary School in Tobago this evening from 5 pm to 8 pm. Commission chairman Prakash Ramadhar, Minister of Legal Affairs, will lead members and supporting teams in a bid in the exercise to ensure Tobagonians are given an opportunity to express their views on the report.

  

Other members of the commission are Dr Hamid Ghany, political scientist, Justice Amrika Tewarie, Carlos Dillon and Dr Merle Hodge. Tobagonians are invited to attend the consultation and participate fully in the process. Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chairman Orville London, at a meeting in Plymouth last week, said he plans to embark on a series of strategies to put the issue of internal self government for Tobago on the national agenda.

“I want us to put it back on the agenda as a Tobago thing. It must be on the agenda as a Tobago people thing.” Whether this meant he believed it should be a part of the national consultations was not clear. Efforts to reach London yesterday were not successful. In a THA release in March last year, London stated the assembly was not making its views known on constitutional reform for T&T at that point in time.

Adventist Purportedly Support Gays, While Frowned Upon by Politicians

HE TEAM: Panellists at the National Consultation on Constitutional Reform
from left Dr Hamid Ghany, former high court judge Amrika Tiwary-Reddy,
 Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar,
at the Diego Martin North Secondary School, on Saturday night.
—Photos: STEPHEN DOOBAY

President of the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation Colin Robinson says politicians should be fighting for his rights as a homosexual man but he has found them to be “hypocrites and cowards” on these issues.

Robinson was one of the attendees at the 13th National Consultation on Constitutional Reform, hosted by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, on Saturday night at Diego Martin North Secondary School. 

He commented that some of the things suffered by the homosexual community included “bad and inattentive” policing; being called derogatory names; the indignity in the court system and the inability to access justice.

He stressed that the Constitution should protect people from discrimination. 

Robinson said he was “afraid” to have Constitutional reform in the hands of a Government that had not yet passed the Gender Policy or reformed the Equal Opportunity legislation. 

“People have the right to get up in the pulpit on Sunday morning and preach on me. That is the right we have in this society. But I have the right to sleep in bed and have sex with who I want while they preaching on me. That is the nation we need to be able to create,” he added.

International televangelist Benny Hinn, who held a two-day crusade last weekend, came in for criticism from two attendees, one man saying that like all religious people they just wanted to take your money and another slamming him for “imposing Christianity on this country”.

Donald Berment, representative of the lobby group Men Against Violence Against Women, called for a gender balance in Parliament and for each gender to have at least above 45 per cent representation. 

He said the Constitution says every person should be respected in their personal life and questioned if a gay man is disrespected whether that can be challenged using the Constitution as a basis. 

A representative of the public affairs department of the Seventh Day Adventist Church said everybody has the right to choose a lifestyle including her “homosexual brother”, referring to Robinson. She added they should not be discriminated against and should have a right to justice.

She noted, however, that this country should not “swing to the next direction” like the Courts in Canada and Australia where people who refuse to marry same sex couples, refuse to build houses for same sex couples or those who wear the symbol of the cross to work are penalised. 

She stressed that religious people have rights and homosexual people have rights and when these come into conflict no one party should be disadvantaged for being a “conscientious objector”. 

She called for supremacy of God to be retained in the Constitution. 

She noted that in the last population census approximately 175,000 people reported not having any religion and therefore the majority of the population reported that they had a religion.

Another attendee described homosexuality as “unnatural” and “a thousand Acts of Parliament” could not make it right. He also said, as a “black man,” he did not appreciate the comparison of the gay rights movement with the civil rights movement. 

Other attendees supported the retention of the supremacy of God in the Constitution, one man commenting that to remove God would bring disaster upon the nation.

A few other attendees, however, supported the removal.

Source:Trinidadexpress

Verbal Clash Over God and Gays

Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar sits at head table 

Views on topics such as God and homosexuality were expressed at the first public consultation on constitutional reform on Monday night.

The session was held at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, where citizens used the opportunity to also voice their concerns on the Local Government system.

Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar sat at the head table and listened to the remarks made.

In his opening statement, he said he was there to listen, and the people should feel free to speak their minds. Each person had three minutes to express his or her view.

Assistant secretary-general of the Caribbean Religious Liberty Association Oswald Pierre spoke of this country's need for religious freedom.

"While the Constitution provides for religious freedom and fundamental rights, there are still some very high-profile and prestigious institutions that are not allowing certain minority groups to enjoy religious freedom. Some of these issues are now before the court. I will not make mention of a situation with respect to our Baptist friends in Couva whose church was bulldozed without due process," said Pierre.

He said there must be acknowledgement of the Supreme God and fundamental rights as well as the position of the family—which is endowed by the Creator.

Express columnist and representative of the Humanist Association of Trinidad and Tobago Kevin Baldeosingh shared another view.

Baldeosingh, an atheist, expressed concern with the preamble of the Constitution, which states, "Whereas the people of Trinidad and Tobago have affirmed that the nation of Trinidad and Tobago is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God."

Baldeosingh said this was not true in 1976 and it is not true today.

He said the preamble contradicts another section of the Constitution, which speaks to conscious belief and observance and freedom of thought and expression.

The preamble, he said, was "philosophically incoherent" and there may be legal implications for non-believers in terms of their rights.

He also noted that the 2011 demographic report stated that the number of people who indicated that they had no religion increased by 33 per cent to 28,000 plus, and others who did not state their religion amounted to over 46,000 people.

Baldeosingh suggested that God be left out of the Constitution.

Pierre immediately got up and said, "If you leave God out of the Constitution, then you have to leave God out of the National Anthem."

David Taitt felt God presided over this country and homosexuality should not be condoned.

"The Constitution must not legalise homosexuality and gay marriages. We are a State that follows God's rule and no way we must have that nastiness in our country," he said.

He said further that one day must be constitutionally allocated for a day of worship.

He also suggested that Trinidad and Tobago be made a federal state with a prime minister for Tobago and another for Trinidad with a president as head.

Integrity Commission member Seunarine Jokhoo said there was need for proper protocol for an incoming prime minister or president. He added that persons appointed by the current president should offer their resignations and let the new president renew their contract.

Jokhoo added that he was "disgusted" by the way Parliament operates and there should be something in place to guide this.

He said further the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should be examined, as well as the appointments of the Commissioner of Police and members to State boards.

Olabisi Kuboni, of the Constitution Reform Forum (CRF), suggested the structure of the Senate be changed. She said there should be reduced emphasis on political parties as, right now, the governing party has the majority both in the House of Representatives and Senate.

The Constitution, she said, must minimise this power and ensure civil society has a greater voice in the Parliament.

Teresina Seunarine supported this, saying she was the mother of an autistic son, and the differently abled should have a voice in the Parliament.

She said prior to the general election, politicians were on the ground meeting the people; and after they got into office, those very people were struggling to meet their representatives.

"I don't think our voices are being heard enough in the community. We need help," she said.

Support for a two-term limit for the prime minister and the right of recall of members of Parliament were widely supported.

A team of commissioners—Dr Hamid Ghany, Justice Sebastian Ventour, Dr Merle Hodge, Justice Amrika Tiwary-Reddy and Carlos Dillon—will continue the consultations throughout the country.

The next consultation is scheduled to take place at the Arima Town Hall on Saturday at 5.30 p.m.

Source:TrinidadExpress

London Delivers Petition to PM

Tobago House of Assembly, Chief Secretary
Orville London

The message to the People's Partnership from Tobagonians is stop being "Dismissive" to their expressed sentiments on the issue of internal self government, according to chief Secretary of Tobago House of Assembly, Orville London. 

This message was conveyed to the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday after the Chief Secretary delivered a petition  to the PM's office for the Government to consider the THA's draft legislation on Constitutional reform and amendments to the THA Act. 

London indicated, at a press conference at the Hyatt Regency, that a number of 5,791 Tobagonians had affixed their signatures to the petition, and that the "people of Tobago are not attempting to force anything down the throats of the country, they are not saying that what they want should be the final thing. They are just saying these are our views and let us have a conversation."

Further, he indicated that a copy was also submitted to political scientist Dr Hamid Ghany, who is the appointee by the Prime Minister to head the Committee in ascertaining feeding back on the Green Paper on Tobago self Governance. 

Earlier this year (June 4) the PM accused London of trying to bully the Government into accepting two draft Bills on Tobago self-government, which she said was created without consulting the people of Tobago. London responded by stating that her statement was "erroneous, misleading and mischievous". Thus this move was done in an effort to preserve four years of effort by thousands of Tobagonians which was dumped or replaced with a document emanating from the Office of the Attorney General, The Green Paper. 

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