PDP heads to court to solve THA deadlock

The Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) is heading to court for a solution to the deadlock in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

In a statement on Friday evening, the PDP its legal team is preparing a brief to go to court on Monday to ask its permission for an interpretation of the law and the procedures to be followed with a view to ending the stalemate.

“We have to use the law and prescribed procedures to make our way out of this,” the party said.

The PDP also reiterated its call for a meeting with the PNM “so we can act in a manner that Tobagonians can expect of responsible leaders.”

After taking their oaths of office at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands, on Thursday, the People’s National Movement (PNM) and PDP assemblymen voted a presiding officer at the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough.

The PNM nominated Tobago Regional Health Authority chairman Ingrid Melville while the PDP nominated Division of Sport and Youth Affairs officer Julien Skeete.

But after four rounds of voting, two of which were done by secret ballot, the process ended in deadlock as the assemblymen rejected the candidates presented by either side.

PDP deputy leader Farley Augustine, who retained the Speyside/L’anse Fourmi/Parlatuvier seat for a second term in the January 25 THA election, told members of a possible solution to the impasse.

He said Section 92 (1) of the THA’s Standing Orders refers the House to the National Parliament’s Standing Orders, which authorises the Clerk of the House to draw lots.

The PNM rejected this solution.

“If there is a mechanism in the law, why not use it?” the PDP asked in the statement.

The PDP is not afraid of fresh elections “but we need to fix the law first, otherwise we run the risk of repeating the 6-6 tie without a clear, legal mechanism to treat with it.”

It added: “The law does not provide a mechanism for the THA to have re-elections under these circumstances.”

The party said according to the THA Act, an election is only possible after a resolution of the House, “which is now impossible without a presiding officer to preside over such a motion.”

The PDP continued: “We have made it clear that just returning to the polls means that it is mathematically possible to come up with another tie. It is nonsensical to return to the polls without fixing the flaws first.”

The PDP said the PNM lost more in the election than they had gained.

It said between the 2017 and 2021 THA, the PNM has lost more in this election than they have gained. The party said they now enjoy 5261 more votes and four seats more.

In the 2017 THA election, the PNM won ten of the 12 electoral districts.

The PDP added between the August 10, 2020, general election and the January 25 THA election, the party gained 2,431 votes in five months.

“They are clearly losing ground so they should be the ones afraid to return to the polls.”

The PDP accused PNM Tobago Council political leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine of trying to keep “an undemocratic executive council going for about six months.”

At a news conference on Thursday after the short sitting, Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis revealed the outgoing assemblymen will continue to manage the THA’s business until the impasse is resolved.

He said he was seeking legal advice on the issue and suggested the issue should be resolved in six months.

The PDP said it was uncomfortable with the idea of the assembly having unfettered access to resources.