PM: Most Tobagonians want to stay with Trinidad

THE Prime Minister doesn’t believe the majority of Tobagonians want secession.

During an interview on the I95.5 FM's Afternoon Drive on Tuesday afternoon, Dr Rowley was asked whether people of the island wanted Tobago to politically separate from Trinidad.

He said, “That’s the sentiment in some quarters, (but) I don't think it's a widespread sentiment.

"The vast majority of Tobagonians want to be part of the unitary state. There are some people who maybe intellectually different, or they're just not actually clear what this breaking-up or this second government would mean. But some people have advanced it as a better situation.”

Rowley said he offered Tobago greater autonomy during the 2021 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election through the Tobago Self-Government Bill, but it was rejected.

In 2013, Tobago's legislative assembly started actively discussing and drafting the bill. The bill was meant to strengthen Tobago's autonomy by providing greater legislative, administrative, and financial authority to the THA.

Over the years, several public consultations were held to gather feedback and opinions from Tobagonians on the proposed autonomy bill.

During the 2021 THA election campaign, leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Watson Duke criticised the idea of greater autonomy. Instead, he told Tobagonians that they should consider cutting all ties from the central government in Trinidad.

On Tuesday, responding to a question on the call for autonomy by a listener during the programme, Rowley said: “If you understand how self government can be had, it’s not something I can give to Tobago. Tobago does have some element of self government. To change the Constitution to give Tobago the greater self government that some people are advocating for, it requires parliamentary support. And parliamentary support comes by votes in the Parliament.

He went on to explain that he was not of the belief that Tobagonians wanted to divorce themselves from Trinidad either.

"I’m in Tobago very regularly and I am not aware that sentiment Tobago is for anything but some more autonomy within the unitary state. I know there's an alternative where some people are saying a federal arrangement and equalities if we are going to be equal. And that has to be so for the time being.”