Duke: Tobago wants self-determination

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) founder and political leader Watson Duke says the people of Tobago do not want autonomy but rather, self-determination.

Speaking at a press conference at PDP headquarters at Port Mall, Scarborough on November 11, Duke said self-determination meant Tobago would have the right to determine its own political status, as well as its social, economic and cultural development without external influence.

He said autonomy promised some rights while self-determination guarantees all rights.

He said Tobago has three political options but he believes its people would settle for an association with Trinidad. An association meant Tobago would be independent but in a partnership with Trinidad or any other country of its choice.

Similar to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union or the European Union, he said, it would mean the sharing of a single currency, security issues and resources. Each island would have its own parliament but sit as one. In this way, any bill passed that did not have the Tobago vote, would only apply to Trinidad.

The other two options, he said, were for Tobago to become an independent nation, or have an interdependent relationship with Trinidad with a certain amount of autonomy as it currently does.

According to Duke, unbeknownst to him, when Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine was still a member of the PDP, in 2021, a document was "secretly signed" claiming to represent the views of Tobagonians on the autonomy issue with former chief secretary, the late Hochoy Charles. This document, Duke added, was sent to Trinidad for central government.

In January, Duke continued, Augustine said at that time that he would send an updated version of the document to MPs. But Duke claimed the THA's assemblymen did not get a copy of the document, nor was it discussed to get other views.

“You gone Trinidad to talk to them (MPs) and the people of Tobago are totally unaware of what inside the document. So much for transparency!

“Tobago must decide whether they will want until neverary morning for a two-thirds Parliamentary agreement at the Lower House, at the higher (sic) House to determine whether or not they get into the constitution, the things that they want. Or whether we can start affecting the simple majority laws that affect our day-to-day living.”

Duke said this was the first time in history that Tobagonians were dealing with the issue of autonomy. He said Augustine was confusing the issue by combining autonomy with self-determination in his speeches. He believes Augustine lacks a clear strategy on positioning Tobago as part of the twin-island nation.

“I want to make it absolutely clear today, that neither APT James, ANR Robinson nor Hochoy Charles fought for self-determination. What they fought for was more rights for Tobago,” Duke said.

Duke said the Trinidad and Tobago Act 1887 made TT one colony, and in 1889, Queen Victoria, through the Order-in-Council, made Tobago a ward of TT.

He said the only way to allow Tobago to be treated equally was to repeal the act and replace it with a modern one that clearly defines the geography of both islands, and remove Tobago as a ward of Trinidad.

“Anything else is a sell-out.”