PNM and Tobago – the historical facts

ASHTON FORD

ONE OF the most significant developments that cemented the sovereign State of TT was the appointment of the late Rennie Dumas, then parliamentary representative of Tobago East (2007), as the minister of local government.

It was especially significant since some misguided Tobagonians are desperately attempting to separate the two islands following the tie (6-6) between the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) in the recent Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election.

Dumas functioned in his ministerial role without any complaint from Trinidadians because he was a Member of Parliament and his appointment was made in accordance with the country’s Constitution by then prime minister Patrick Manning.

While this appointment was seamless and non-controversial it is unlikely that we will ever see a Trinidadian being appointed as chief secretary or even contesting any THA election in the near future.

So the James family comes out with guns blazing in a letter to the Prime Minister saying, “Indeed, it cannot rationally be denied that the problem would be solved by a PNM Trinidad. The national government is run by the PNM. Parliament is controlled by the PNM. The hold over executive council is PNM. You are a PNM Prime Minister. You have consulted in broad daylight with the Chief Secretary and outside of the light with the Tobago PNM political leader.”

The James family cannot be taken seriously when they conveniently omitted that Dumas’s appointment was made by a PNM prime minister in broad daylight. Dumas was responsible for managing the affairs of local government in Trinidad comprising members of the PNM and opposition United National Congress (UNC).

In my opinion that summarises the failed attempt in their submission to the Prime Minister that “your actions recall the behaviour of the autocratic colonial governor, except that the country you are representing is (Mother Country) Trinidad.”

Again, they cannot be serious for when the history of TT is written it would reveal that several Tobagonians served as ministers of government, eg finance, sports, foreign affairs, culture, etc and ultimately the prized positions of prime minister and president of TT.

At no time did any patriotic citizen describe our country in the disgraceful manner, when those Tobagonians served our country, as the James family did in their unfortunate letter to the Prime Minister.

History would also reveal that it was the PNM that started the transformation and development of Tobago under the then political leader and prime minister, Dr Eric Williams.

Following the 1976 general election when the PNM lost the two seats, Tobago East and West, the party held internal discussions on the movement forward of our sister isle.

The party launched the intensive programme on Tobago at a convention on December 3, 1976, when the document “The PNM in the next five years 1976-1981” was presented to the membership with an address by Williams.

Another historical development was an internal consultation among representatives from Tobago and local government bodies under the heading, “The Question of Local Government with special Emphasis on the position of Tobago.”

Following that consultation there were major changes in local government with the splitting of St George County into East and West, the creation of the Point Fortin Borough and the extension of the Arima Borough in 1980.

And on July 23, 1977, Williams addressed a special convention dealing strictly with Tobago which resulted in the establishment of the THA in 1980.

It is for this reason I am compelled to present the undisputed facts on the history of PNM and Tobago. It is clear that the PNM has demonstrated its interest, love and care for the people of Tobago over the years, which started in 1956.

Today it is no different with the approach by the PNM, especially since Dr Rowley, a Tobagonian, is Prime Minister and political leader, whose actions are in sync with Williams’s, along with other PNM leaders George Chambers and Patrick Manning.

So the ridiculous and outrageous claims made by the James family (not to be confused with James Frank and Jessie) with their blazing guns must be dismissed outright because at the end of the day the genuine effort by the PNM under Rowley would be in the interest of all the people of TT.

Ashton Ford is a former general secretary of the PNM