Still no presiding officer elected by THA

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has been suspended indefinitely after the People’s National Movement (PNM) and Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) assemblymen failed for a third time to elect a presiding officer.

The adjournment came a day after the Prime Minister, at a news conference on Wednesday, proposed amendments to the THA Act to break the deadlock after the six-six tie in the January 25 THA election.

Dr Rowley said a draft amendment could be before Cabinet in a matter of days.

At Thursday’s meeting of the THA, the PNM again nominated its candidate, Tobago Regional Health Authority chairman Ingrid Melville, and the PDP nominated Division of Sports and Youth Affairs co-ordinator Julien Skeete.

But after four rounds of voting, two of them by secret ballot, the House remained in deadlock.

Clerk of the House Myrna Mc Leod then suspended the meeting to a date to be fixed, much to the chagrin of the PDP.