The Ring Bang saga

Dr Rita Pemberton  -
Dr Rita Pemberton -

DR RITA PEMBERTON

Visible to all who traverse the Claude Noel Highway (and care to look), is the 60-foot dancing male figure at the top of Signal Hill which stimulates neither interest nor attention from the Tobago public. The monument, which currently presents signs of disrepair, seems to have been abandoned by officialdom despite the odd voice crying from the political wilderness for maintenance work to be applied to the structure.

Designed and fabricated by York Structures, the monument was intended to be the marker for the event to follow, the Millennium concert in Tobago.

This was planned to be an extraordinary event, to entertain patrons with a send-off to the decade of the 1990s and the 20th century with a "bang," and "ring" in the new millennium with the hopes and dreams it embodied. Billed as a grand international event with participation from regional artistes, from its very incipient planning stages, the concert attracted heavy media attention and public scrutiny and opposition.

Contrary to the promises of the organisers, the Ring Bang Celebration 2000 which was held at Shaw Park was a dismal failure and remains permanently etched in the memory of the unforgiving members of the public in TT for its failures. There are three characteristics which are visible in the events which led to the planning and staging of the concert which should be noted.

Firstly, the concert grew out of the determination of the Chief Secretary and his supporting members to circumvent the strictures imposed on the THA by the Basdeo Panday-led central government. The THA had been functioning under considerable strain with the inadequacies of its administrative support and a continual shortage of funds with which to conduct the assembly’s business. As a consequence, THA/central government relations deteriorated to an all- time low.

In an attempt to rein in the THA, the central government strategy to starve the THA for funds was a serious blow which occurred at a critical time. THA elections were due in 2001 and the THA ruling party wanted to roll out the grandiose plans which had been formulated to woo the electorate. The need for funds was urgent.

Since local sources were not forthcoming, the financially-strapped THA was determined to explore investment funding. The Chief Secretary sought permission from the Governor of the Central bank to float bonds as a fund-raising device but, not wanting to become embroiled in the conflict, the Governor advised the Chief Secretary to try to work matters out with the central government. This, of course, did not and could not happen given the state of their relations.

In face of the continued financial starvation, the Chief Secretary remained steadfast in his determination to seek investment funding. Without the knowledge of central government, the THA invested in the US stock market.

However, under the existing regulations, the government of the country has access to money invested in the stock market. When the government became aware that the THA had made an international investment without its knowledge and consent, the government intervened, terminated the arrangement on the grounds that the THA had acted outside of its authority, and in the view of the Chief Secretary, prevented a refund from being paid to the THA.

The ventures undertaken by the THA included ADDA, which involved a court matter that only served to intensify THA/central government conflict, and Ring Bang, neither of which resulted in the desired financial relief. Instead, they exposed the THA to hostile media and public criticism.

The second characteristic is the disillusionment of the normally supportive Tobago public and party membership. Having weathered the political storms which enveloped the ANR Robinson-led drive for autonomy and having supported the NAR/DAC administration across two decades, the population became impatient. Although the administration had succeeded in making some important changes on the island, the population had grown less tolerant of the continuing conflict between the THA and central government which had assumed the appearance of a personality clash between members of the ruling party in Trinidad and the Chief Secretary in Tobago.

Despite the intentions articulated by the ruling party, the people of Tobago faced a number of problems. The desire for change on the island was not fully satisfied but the overwhelming problem was related to basic everyday survival.

Workers were unable to support their families because many went unpaid for extended periods; public servants were frustrated over the non-payment of their increments and the limited opportunities for promotion; bus drivers who were contracted to transport children to and from school remained unpaid while essential buildings remained in a state of disrepair.

One such was the cold storage facility on which the fishermen depended. Rumours that the money to run the government was diverted to create the investment funds circulated around the island and created unease in the population which was increased by the failure of the investment strategy to generate any significant returns.

With the election looming, the opposition forces became active and new parties began to emerge. Disaffection occurred within the ruling party as some individuals claimed that membership was not always consulted on some of the ventures undertaken by the Chief Secretary.

Disagreement over party policies led to a split within the DAC which resulted in the formation of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) in 2008.

This was followed by the formation of the Deborah Moore Miggins-led Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) and, in addition, the PNM reasserted itself in the political fray.

At the termination of the decade of the 1990s and of the 20th century, the Tobago population had a wider range of party offerings than previously existed. The volume of criticism of the policies and approaches of the DAC intensified, the party lost considerable support and it became very evident that, at the upcoming election, there would be no easy run for the DAC.

It is the third characteristic, disaster with Ring Bang. which contributed most powerfully to the major political shift which occurred on the island. This event will be discussed in the next column.

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"The Ring Bang saga"

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