Brebnor: Mutual respect key to TPP, UNC talks

NEGOTIATIONS have begun between Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, who is also political leader of the Tobago People’s Party (TPP), and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

On April 28, the Persad-Bissessar-led UNC coalition won 26 seats in the general election while the PNM got 13 and the TPP won the two Tobago seats.

Speaking on the Tobago Updates morning show on May 5, TPP deputy leader Dr Faith Brebnor said, “I think the chief secretary already said it in an interview while in Trinidad that he already had one of the first meetings with the prime minister after she was inaugurated earlier this week. That night, he actually met with her – the team met with her – and we started the negotiations.”

Brebnor said the success of these negotiations is predicated on "the level of mutual respect" between parties involved.

"...and when we start from a level of mutual respect then the negotiations can happen in a way that is practical.”

Brebnor said the TPP campaigned on the importance of having two MPs who will solely represent the people of Tobago in Parliament.

“This is what we’re sending them to do. This can happen with us, meaning the entire political organisation led by the political leader, negotiating in the background with the MPs and so forth, with whomever is the government there, and then when we negotiate, because that is how parliaments work throughout the world.”

She said after negotiations, the party is able to lend its political voice in terms of its votes in Parliament for or against certain pieces of legislation.

“I think people are confused by the concept of forming the government versus being a part of the Cabinet. Whenever an election happens in the Parliament of TT, what the law basically says is: the president will make the person who he or she thinks has the greatest volume of support by the number of elected members – make that person the Prime Minister.”

She said the TPP not having a member in Cabinet is not important. She noted that Cabinet requires one to have, very much like the Executive Council, collective responsibility.

“We did not want our members to be caught up in a situation where they needed to have collective responsibility for something that may happen in the Cabinet that may not have necessarily be the best thing for the people of Tobago.”