London: THA victory will define PNM's future

SAVE TOBAGO": THA Chief Secretary

 Orville London poses with PNM supporters

 Earlene Crook Nedd, from left, Jocelyn Small and Lavern Nedd

during the party's Tobago Day 

yesterday at Balisier House, in Port of Spain

THE Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election has implications not just for the THA and Tobago, but for Trinidad and Tobago and for the future of the People's National Movement.

So said THA Chief Secretary and PNM Deputy Political Leader Orville London as he addressed supporters in the courtyard of Balisier House, in Port of Spain, at the "Tobago Day" function.

London said if the PNM won the THA election on January 21, next year, it would win next year's Local Government Election and the General Election in 2015, "because the momentum would have started and the people of the country would have understood that people power can beat money power anytime," he said.

He said if the PNM does not win and win "convincingly and resoundingly" in the Tobago House of Assembly election, the signal that would be sent to the People's Partnership is that as Mighty Sparrow would say "we (in Trinidad and Tobago) like it so". 

"And I know we don't like it so," he added. 

London said the THA election was everybody's business. The THA election must show that decency would triumph over cynicism, that good people would truimph over not-so-good people.

He said the election was about the calibre of the people of Tobago and the resilence of the people of Tobago.

"Deep down the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago were decent, law-abiding people who could not afford to spend any more time under a regime as despicable as this one.

"This is a crusade to save Tobago and to save T&T. The first phase ends on January 21, 2013," London said.

London referred to Political Leader Dr Keith Rowley as the next Tobago-born prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

Rowley told the crowd that yesterday's gathering was an expression of the support which Tobagonians living in Trinidad had with Tobagonians in Tobago- "that we stand side by side with you in defence of Tobago's heritage". 

"We have every confidence that the at the end of the day the decency, that quiet dignity, the ambition of Tobagonians to be the best that the country can be, will prevail when the time comes in Tobago and the time has come," he said.

reproduced from express Trinidad.

London To Lead Tobago Day in Trinidad on Sunday.

Chief Secretary, Orville London

Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly and deputy political leader of the People’s National Movement Orville London will lead hundreds of Tobagonians to a special celebration in Port-of-Spain on Sunday. Called Tobago Day in Trinidad, the event, which is scheduled to take place at Balisier House courtyard, Port-of-Spain, begins at 10 am and ends at 6 pm.

PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said the day would feature Tobago cultural presentations and speeches by London and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley. He said the event was expected to grow in participation because the January 21 date of the THA election has been announced.

Meanwhile, the T&T Guardian understands the PNM’s THA election campaign is not expected to begin until next month. The Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) launched its campaign in June and held its family day on the island on Tuesday. The PNM in Tobago has three public meetings scheduled for later this month.

The first takes place this evening in Moriah, the second in Plymouth on November 22 and the third in Roxborough on November 29. Several standing committees of the PNM will be appointed during the party’s General Council meeting, on Sunday. Ford said the remaining ten members of the General Council will also be appointed to complete the central executive.

reproduced from guardian newspaper