15 seats for Tobago

IN ORDER to break the six-six deadlock in the recent Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election, three more seats should be added to the THA and a new election be held.

This from the Prime Minister who in a statement on Friday in the House of Representatives, detailed a Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was later laid in the House. Dr Rowley said few had anticipated the electoral deadlock.

“What later transpired was constitutionally historical for Tobago and worked, ironically, in some sense, to spotlight the Tobagonian agenda of self-governance.”

He said Tobago autonomy was first championed by the likes of James Biggart and APT James, and then Dr Winston Murray and ANR Robinson. The current crisis has highlighted the need for reform of the Tobago House of Assembly Act and the immediate need for governance in Tobago.

“This Bill is therefore not immediately concerned with the issue of Tobago self-governance but seeks, in the interim, to provide a solution to the current issue faced by the deadlocked THA, the Tobago Parliament and administration after the recent election results.”

Rowley said legal advice to him from senior counsel had rejected the idea of the THA being given to the party winning the majority of votes (the PNM) and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s call for the THA to break the tie by borrowing mechanisms used in the House.

“We have given due consideration to all the options and propose that this bill is constitutionally sound and is the best solution.”

He said in the THA’s 40 year history, no deadlock had ever occurred, even as any fresh poll of the current 12 seats was also likely to produce a tie.

“In this regard, it has been advised that the act be amended to increase the number of electoral districts to an odd number which will lessen the likelihood of a possible recurrence of a deadlocked result.” He said the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2018, now before a Joint Select Committee (JSC), was produced after two years of extensive consultations in Tobago. “In the circumstances, it is advisable to adopt the proposal from the Tobago Self-Government Bill that there be an increase to 15 electoral districts,” Rowley said.

“This is a true reflection of the will of the Tobago people.” The PM said the Government proposed to amend the THA Act.

The amendment also proposed the holding of fresh elections in cases where no assembly is installed within 14 days after an election is held, and to provide a date for such new elections.