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.    

Let’s talk Tobago self-governance

Chief Secretary, Orville London

Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Orville London is calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to resume talks with Tobago about internal self-government. 

In a media statement Friday, London called on Persad-Bissessar “to give some comfort to the people of Tobago with respect to her Government’s position on resuming discussions and the process that would lead to full internal self-government for the island in the shortest possible time”.

He said he wanted to place on public record once again his concern for the silence emanating from the Central Government on the issue of self-government for Tobago after the THA election in January.

“Before the THA election it was a major topic and one would have thought that the election was fought primarily on this one issue,” London told Thursday’s post-Executive Council media briefing.

London recalled that before the election all the parties had one thing in common and that was internal self-government for Tobago.

He said he found it “quite disconcerting that despite several overtures made to the Central Government, in person and by written correspondence, there was no indication that it intended to give any priority to the issue”.

According to London, this issue of internal self-government for Tobago was one of the issues he raised when he met the Prime Minister on February 22.

The Chief Secretary added: “I want the people of Tobago to be on notice that they have to do whatever is necessary to alert the Central Government to their concern and to elicit from the Central Government some kind of positive response with respect to this very important issue. 

“We cannot allow it to become intertwined with the whole issue of the Constitutional Reform discussion. We in Tobago are supportive of the Constitutional Reform discussion but we cannot afford for this issue which has engaged our attention for the past 50 years and on which we have been focusing for at least the past four years to be overshadowed by the Constitutional Reform discussion.”

Source: Express Trinidad

Rowley: Tobago Bill an Election ploy and a Trojan Horse.

Dr. Rowley contributes in Tobago bill debate
 at Lower House at Tower D of the International Waterfront Centre
in Port of Spain. —Photo: MICHEAL BRUCE

AN "election ploy" and a "Trojan horse" that will make Tobagonians worse off was how Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday described legislation to give the sister isle more autonomy.

"If what is before us is enacted into law, Tobago will be worse off than we are now," he said.

He noted that while Tobago would have power to pass laws, there was a provision that if the law was inconsistent with a law made by Parliament, before or after, the Tobago law would be made void.

"That is not self-government," he stressed.

He was contributing to debate in the Lower House on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago) Bill 2013 at Tower D of the International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain.

Rowley said the concurrent list in the legislation would give Central Government an opening to claim rights and responsibilities "which it does not have", and Tobago has more power under existing laws.

He added that the bill would expose to Tobago more of the "high handedness" of Central Government.

He pointed out the Government's failed attempt to set up a forestry programme, saying it was currently acquiring State lands, under the responsibility of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), for a university that was "bought by a friend of a friend of a friend".

He noted that on February 16, 2011, he received correspondence from the Prime Minister about the reform of the Constitution, and he wrote back to her in a letter dated September 19, 2011, requesting clarifications.

He said the Prime Minister never gave him the courtesy of a reply.

"No similar letter exists on this country's record from any Opposition Leader to any Prime Minister in this country because I said to her we can do things differently, and not just differently but we can do things better. She spoiled that," he said.

He noted that Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine has said Tobago would receive equity in distribution of energy wealth, but this was an attempt to "fool people" and the bill was drafted by people who do not understand the law of the sea.

He said the Prime Minister denigrated the People's National Movement (PNM) and threw accusations at him, "calling my 'Tobagoness' into question, as if she could".

He claimed the bill was for her to fulfill a promise to Tobago Organisation of the People leader Ashworth Jack. He also said the Prime Minister was seeking to revise history by saying the THA had not looked at self-government when it has engaged in island-wide consultation before the People's Partnership was formed.

"I have been telling the people of Tobago what the Government is doing is wrong, what they doing to the Parliament is bad and election or no election the PNM will not support it. As a matter of fact... Tobago's protection right now is the PNM," he said.

He also called the bill a "Swiss cheese of staleness and stinkness", but House Speaker Wade Mark chided him for making an "inelegant" remark.

Rowley said the problem with the legislation was the process, and gave the analogy that if the egg is rotten the omelet will "never be good".

Rowley said there should be national public involvement—the Opposition, Government and THA should work together—and the public should know what is being done on their behalf.

"When the bill has passed through all of that, public comment and all, we will come to the Parliament with a bill that has been so rigorously reviewed and... then we can debate a bill that we supporting and then we can go to committee, finalise it and give Tobago once and for all the self-government that it needs," Rowley said.

Reproduced by Trinidadexpress

No House Vote for Tobago Bill:What's the Sense?

The Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago) Bill, 2013 will not be put to a vote when the House meets to debate it tomorrow. It would instead be sent to a Joint Select Committee (JSC). This Committee would then be responsible for wider discussion and consultation. 

Most people believes that this is another case of "Cart before the horse". How can you debate a Bill and then seek to send it to a JSC? shouldn't the reverse happen? 

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley have insisted that the PNM would not be supporting the Bill unless a Tripartite Committee is formed. “We are parliamentarians. We have been called out and we going to Parliament to engage in a marathon debate...But what they have done is unacceptable. And we are not encouraging the United National Congress (UNC) in its nonsense. 

“If you want to amend the Constitution there are ways and means of doing so. But they want to go and amend the Constitution as part of their election campaign,” Rowley said. 

Rowley also believes that the Government was vulgar in its approach and further stated Tobago must be involved in the process. 

The Bill must receive the support of 32 out of the 41 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the elected House. As such the Government which has a total of 29 MPs must have the support of at least least three Opposition MPs.

However, for it to be sent to a JSC the Government only needs a simple majority and can do so comfortably  The JSC would then study the Bill, make amendments and send it back to the House where it would once again be debated before a vote is taken.

The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution  enhancing the legislative and executive powers of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) with a view to promoting the internal self-government of Tobago. Additionally, the Bill would grant the THA powers to make laws for areas of governance under its jurisdiction and for the peace, order and good government of Tobago, so long as the laws are not inconsistent with a law made by the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament.