Charles: I've sacrificed the most

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles has promised to make further "revelations” as he spoke of some of the sacrifices he made for the People’s National Movement (PNM).

Addressing a PNM meeting in Patience Hill, last Thursday, Charles said his greatest weapon is the truth and he will defend himself with it.

“If they stop tell lies against me, I would stop telling the truth against them," he said.

"I have said to those who know me well, people ought not to take my kindness for weakness and don’t feel that I can’t fight back. I have been taking it in stride simply because I understand the implications for the party and the fact that I ought not to do anything that would fracture or injure the structure of the party. But there comes a time...when one has a responsibility to defend one’s honour. That time is approaching.”

Charles lamented that those who opposed him in the run-up to the 2016 PNM Tobago Council internal elections have never given him a chance.

He recalled in 2016, the opportunity arose for someone to take over as political leader of the Tobago Council. Charles said he was not contemplating contesting the position then.

“I didn’t give it a thought. I was approached first of all by an individual who would remain nameless and I indicated in response, 'I’ll think about it.'"

Charles said he was approached again as they found he was taking too long to answer.

"My response was: 'While I have not finalised my thinking on the matter, I am not at the place where I was initially.'

“Subsequent to that, I spoke to my wife and all she said to me was: 'Whatever decision you make, I will support you.' Gave me no help whatsoever –but I suspect the spirit was moving, because a number of persons would have met me and approached me saying that they think I should throw my hat in the ring,”

He said he agonised over that decision, as it would place a strain on him financially.

“For one thing, I had a vehicle that I was not finished paying for; and another thing, I had a son who not too long before then had started university; and of course I had a wife who wasn’t employed.

"Those were part of the challenge. But eventually I would say to you that I was persuaded and I felt that I had a contribution to make, given the fact that I born here, I grow here, here educated me, and to the extent that I did have some skillset, I felt that I should put that to use in serving my people."

The other critical consideration, he said, had to do with ethics and values, as at the time he was serving as THA presiding officer and did not want to leave that position in circumstances where the office of presiding officer would have been brought into disrepute or be compromised.

“I had to decide quickly, because I felt the minimum of nine months and a period maximum of one year, given what was constitutionally required in respect of the Tobago House of Assembly election, was a good enough time to protect the Office of Presiding Officer."

Charles said he quit his position without knowing the date of the party's internal election.

"So I didn’t even wait on that announcement. I exited the scene and became unemployed for nine months. But of course those who felt that I had a responsibility to place myself at the service of the people did come forward and provided some assistance to me during that period. Nine months I went without a job, sacrificing my future and my children’s or family future in the name of providing a service to the people of Tobago."

Charles said none of his rivals took that leap of faith.

“It is indisputable, it cannot be refuted that the majority of those who went against me as opponents for the position, all of them worked until the very last minute, none made the sacrifice that I did. And you see the sad thing about some of us is that we don’t want to understand and appreciate the fact, but I tell you – it go stick in their craw, because it is true.”