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.

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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Alliance of Convenience

Symbolic of the Tobago Organisation of the People
and the People's Partnership

With the Movement of Justice (MSJ) withdrawing from the People's Partnership (PP), it is clear that the party's strength and support have begun to dwindle. However, in a most obvious manner, acting Prime Minister Errol Mc load have distance himself of any affiliation to the MSJ. Now more than ever, we need to know who does he pledge allegiance to within this partnership. Certainly, he isn't independent and as such must align himself to one the remaining four. Further, the same can be asked of the Tobago represented party within this partnership. Why do they maintain this "unprofitable" union. Clearly, the PP hasn't done any thing major for the advancement of the people of Tobago in its two (2) years of existence. Their proposal of duty free Tobago is economically unsustainable, their proposed reduced maritime boundary of 2 miles is unfair, unjustified and without doubt economically motivated. Tobago, having therefore only to settle for an introduction of a Trinidad based CEPEP program, where "Tobago Country Bookies" must fight for the crumbs of it all. Even in the face of gross impiety to the THA by the PP, TOP have been silent and uncritical to say the least. The question therefore resurfaces as to why do they maintain ties to this partnership. Can it be to secure financing and extra support for the THA elections? Is it merely to "eat ah food" and bask in the perks and privileges that comes to party affiliates? What is becoming clear is that these parties do not maintain alliances for the advancement of Trinidad and Tobago, nor do they  for the advancement of Country or the benefit of Citizens. Rather, they maintain 'alliances of convenience' for personal political gains and for the furtherance of their concealed agendas.  It remains to be seen how long would the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) continue to hold on to this union. The peoples' eyes are on you, we are looking at your every move, remember the people of Tobago would be the Judge and Jurors on January 2013. 

Written by O.J.Noel

05 July 2012

Kamla In Front God Behind, "The Reason"

Kamla in front and God Behind PP 2010 election

Over two years have passed, and what seems to be an everlasting tale of Corruption, Self gratification, unhappiness by many citizens, Disaster, Injustices, Crime,  Mistakes and Mis-steps  have been plaguing this beloved country with no sight as to when it would ever end. But why this sudden change? Why, are we being punished? Why have we sunken into this grave abyss, struggling against this dark body of water amass with currents of confusion, hysteria and in-coherency? The answer lies in the subliminal pre-electoral campaigned  messages that have been branded so many times in front our very own eyes. "Pride goes before a fall", were the words of the wise man Solomon. Indeed, I have strong faith in those words. I believed them pre election 2010 and continue to assert that those words still hold, with strong affirmation. This Government came into power on the premise of "Change", however, the Nation received an Exchange. Referred by many as aunty Kamla, and credited with motherly characteristics, senses and care, you might be swayed into believing that running a country is as easy as managing a four (4) member household. Truth be told, motherhood would never prepare you for Prime-ministerial role. The picture attached to this disquisition, sums up the governance and the state of this country in its entirety. The reason for this apparent chaos, for the many mistakes and mis-steps, the constant reshuffling (trying to get it right) and the many atrocities we've had to endure in only two years of an infant government is simply because "God is not First". The bible makes it very definitive "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain". Psalm 127:1 KJV

And that my friends is  The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but The Truth. 

Written by O.J.Noel

28th June 2012