“[…] Tobagonians are free to apply for HDC housing in Trinidad. However, no Trinidadian can ever apply for housing in Tobago under the THA as constituted, not even if you are of Tobagonian parentage. As a consequence, several Tobagonians are the proud owners of houses in Tobago as well as …
Read More »Dear Editor: Did Watson Duke not take the THA oath of office by accident or design?
“[…] While reading the oath of office, at the swearing-in ceremony for members of the Tobago House of Assembly on Thursday 9 December, 2021, Watson Duke uttered the words, ‘I will bear true faith and allegiance to Tobago and Trinidad’. “This is clearly not what the oath says…” The following …
Read More »Dear Editor: What do Tobagonians want? How does PDP help? What does it mean for us Trinbagonians?
“[…] Tobagonians have indicated that they want a change in the Executive, hoping that will bring a change in their fortune. But they have failed to clearly define one item of governance that will bring this change. “So only time will tell if we have made a step forward or …
Read More »Dear Editor: There is no wiggle room, Mrs Davidson-Celestine; resign now!
“[…] Under the Westminster system of government, if you are the leader of your political party and you lose a party leadership election, you have an obligation to resign from your position as prime minister—or any leadership position that you hold in a legislature or a body such as the …
Read More »Daly Bread: A triumph of legitimacy; PDP’s Farley gave good ‘calpet’ to PNM bullies
Farley Augustine and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) have interrupted the alarming descent of Trinidad and Tobago into an authoritarian one-party state and I thank them for that. Having comprehensively routed the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in the Tobago House of Assembly elections, in the backyard of its leader …
Read More »MSJ: PDP has opportunity to make Tobago ‘a model for the entire country’
“[…] The MSJ looks forward to the PDP making good on its commitments to implement transparency and accountability in the affairs of the Tobago House of Assembly. “We also believe that the overwhelming mandate received by the PDP presents an opportunity to fashion a new development approach in Tobago based …
Read More »Daly Bread: How many more must die while we await vaccination legislation?
Nearly three months ago, in a column published on 5 September, I called on the Government to consider legislative options in the face of the Delta variant threat. I wrote as follows: ‘Given the low rate of vaccination, our population is wide open to death or hospitalisation from the Delta …
Read More »Dear Editor: NAR couldn’t keep pre-election promises in 1986, will the PDP be any different?
“[…] I recalled the vociferous demands and protest by the then PSA leadership [in 1986] for an increase in salaries from the Government, while the opposition National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) promised that they would implement the requested increase. “[…] Without an ounce of shame, I note the exact same …
Read More »Dear Editor: By what logic is Dr Rowley’s solution to the Tobago impasse ‘autocratic’?
“[…] Both the PNM and the PDP sought to resolve this issue by seeking to reach some sort of compromise solution/consensus in order to establish a workable bi-partisan administration. All such efforts failed miserably. “Good governance demanded that the issue be resolved as quickly as possible. What better way to …
Read More »Demming: Trying to put pandemic in pan’s way is putting democracy at risk
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is now run by a non-elected normalisation committee appointed by the sport’s world umbrella body, The Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa). Led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, our Parliament acted to override the collective will of Tobagonians when their election results …
Read More »Daly Bread: Topic, topic, topic—THA ‘fix’, police killings and Covid-19 vaccines
When Trinidad and Tobago is boiling over with trouble and nonsense, as it is currently, my Freeport compere says to me ‘topic, topic, topic’. So where to focus this week’s column? Should I comment further on the Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to break the six-six electoral …
Read More »Dr Rowley: ‘The most efficient and viable solution for Tobago’; THA to get 15 districts
“In the forty year history of the Tobago House of Assembly, there has never been an even share of seats to respective political parties resulting in such a deadlocked election result in Tobago. “Further, given that the number of electoral districts is an even one there is the real possibility …
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