Lee: Stop the Tobago bill debate

POINTE-A-Pierre MP David Lee called on the Government to stop debate on greater self-governance for Tobago, on the basisa letter from former Tobago House of Assembly chief secretary Hochoy Charles and PDP deputy leader Farley Augustine to all 41 MPs of the House of Representatives,

During debate in the House on a motion to adopt the Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill, 2020, Lee referred to what he claimed was an open letter from Charles and Farley.

"They (Charles and Augustine) have come up in this letter because they have been fearful of the these two pieces of legislation that are here today."

He cited these as the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill, 2020 and the Tobago Island Administration Bill, 2021.

Lee said the latter was being discussed as part of the report of a joint select committee but has not been laid in Parliament.

"I don't know if this process is right."

He claimed Charles and Augustine had proposed changes to both bills "that they would like the government or the Parliament to consider..for amendments at committee stage or even for government to take it into account and maybe adjourn the House."

Lee claimed Charles and Augustine said in their letter that the bills provide Tobago with no power even within the unitary state of Trinidad and Tobago, and were alleging the bills were in clear violation of international law.

"This is not the UNC saying this..to reject these two bills..I want to put that on record. Leaders of Tobago are saying this because they have a concern."

St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen claimed the PNM was "vilifying Tobagonians who are brave enough to put views out against the PNM."

Caroni East MP Dr Rishi Seecheran asked, "Why do we need legislation to have proper health care in Tobago?"

Seecheran was cautioned a few times by Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde about attacking Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh about the covid19 pandemic in the debate.

Oropouche West MP Dave Tancoo said the legislation was an act of political guile by the PNM because it knew the UNC would not support it.

"They want to go ahead and campaign for 15 seats (in the THA)."

A proposal to increase the number of seats in the assembly from 12 to 15 is contained in the THA (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was passed in the House and Senate on February 19 and March 2 respectively. President Paula-Mae Weekes assented to the bill on March 16 and it is currently awaiting proclamation.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission said in February it would only be able to do the work of designing new electoral boundaries in Tobago and submitting a report to Parliament once this bill is proclaimed.

Speaking in the House on February 19, the Prime Minister said the legislation proposes the minimum period to call a new THA election will be two months.