Ragoonath on THA power-sharing talks: Mediation should have come a long time ago

Political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath supports the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP’s) proposal to have independent mediators preside over the power-sharing negotiations in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

“From a purely political science point of view, this negotiation should never have taken place with just the leaders of the PNM and the PDP. They should have had other people in the negotiations,” he told Newsday.

“The reason for that simply is that if the negotiation hits a low block, it is only then can they go back to the leaders to get direction.”

Ragoonath added: “So, my suggestion to them is that what they are now proposing to do is what they should have done at the beginning.

“Notwithstanding that they are now proposing it, my proposal is that this is the way to go.”

The PNM and the PDP met again on Wednesday in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, in an attempt to thrash out an agreement to manage the affairs of the assembly until a solution to the six-six deadlock is reached.

But the two parties did not reach an agreement.

PDP political leader Watson Duke and PNM leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine gave different accounts of the deliberations.

Duke accused the PNM of negotiating in bad faith.

He said at the meeting, Davidson-Celestine produced a document calling on the PDP to apologise to the party for disparaging statements made during the THA election campaign.

The PNM, he claimed, also called on the party to provide the resumés of the nominees they intend to offer for four secretarial positions in the THA.

Davidson-Celestine, in response, accused the PDP of telling untruths about what happened at the meeting.

She denied requesting resumés for the PDP’s nominees.

The PDP said in a statement on Thursday it was disappointed with the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting and called for independent mediators to sit in at future power-sharing discussions.

The party is hoping the PNM would meet again with them on Monday in the Assembly Legislature.

Speaking to Newsday on Friday, Ragoonath said he had serious concerns about the power-sharing process.

He recalled when the Prime Minister had spoken to both parties in the early stages of the deadlock, he had said “no six is bigger than any six.

“But from what I am hearing coming out of the proposals, clearly there is a feeling that the PNM six is a meatier six than the PDP’s six.

“In that context I am really concerned as to whether or not the PNM is simply going through the motions because they realise that the people of Tobago want them to have this kind of shared governance.”

Ragoonath, senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, UWI, St Augustine, said the PNM does not appear too keen about sharing power with the PDP.

“This is particularly so since the PNM is already in charge of the THA and basically any power-sharing option will mean that they are giving up some of control that they currently hold.”

Ragoonath also said the PNM does not appear to have come to terms with the fact that the PDP has the same number of seats in the assembly as they do.

“There is an equal number that the PDP has and that, I think, is part of the challenge.”

He added: “Tracy Davidson-Celestine is talking authoritatively as if her party is in a majority. They are not in a majority.

“And that is why I say I am very much concerned as to whether it is a genuine attempt or whether there is still that feeling that the PNM six is greater than the PDP six.”