Duke tells Kamla: Tobagonians must be consulted on autonomy

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has urged Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to weigh carefully any decision her government is likely to make regarding greater autonomy for Tobago.

In a video, which was released after Persad-Bissessar and other members of government addressed the post-cabinet news conference at the Red House, Port of Spain, on May 29, Duke argued that any decision on autonomy must contain the views of Tobagonians and not “a decision of the Honourable Chief Secretary Mr Farley Augustine where he can take down to Trinidad a motion and a policy paper that no one has ever seen in the assembly except him.”

At the May 22 plenary sitting of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Augustine tabled a motion calling on the government, through the Attorney General and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, to work with the Assembly to expand its legislative and regulatory authority over key areas in the Fifth Schedule and to draft the necessary legal amendments in collaboration with the assembly’s legal team.

The motion, which was passed that same day, also urged the government to review all previous versions of the Tobago autonomy bills with input from the assembly, identify areas of consensus and refinement, and reintroduce the bills in Parliament at the shortest possible period.

At the post-cabinet briefing, the PM announced that Augustine will be allowed to sit in on cabinet meetings when matters pertaining to Tobago are being discussed.

She added Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj has been assigned to "handle all legislative matters to be worked out with the THA."

Persad-Bissessar and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Barry Padarath also met with Augustine and leader of Assembly business Zorisha Hackett in Tobago on May 28 to discuss matters of interest to government and the THA.

In his video, Duke said he wrote Persad-Bissessar a letter which was sent to her office at Whitehall.

“The letter had to deal with Tobago’s right to self-determination and not asking for autonomy,” he said.

Duke, who unsuccessfully contested the Tobago East seat in the April 28 general election, said the contents of the letter “basically states that Tobagonians want to become involved in the decision-making process of their political status.”

He continued, “Autonomy is one out of three positions when one looks at political status. You have independence, you have autonomy and you have free association with a treaty. Those persons in Tobago wish to be informed about the merits and the demerits, the good and the bad of each point and the type of economy that each political status is likely to be successful within Tobago.

“These are decisions for Tobago and I thought it best that the Prime Minister be informed by myself, as an assemblyman in the Tobago House of Assembly, that we all need to participate in this decision and it is not a decision of the Honourable Chief Secretary Mr Farley Augustine where he can take down to Trinidad a motion and a policy paper that no one has ever seen in the assembly except him.

“We do not believe in cloak and dagger. We do not believe in deceit. Everything must be said plain before Tobagonians and Tobagonians must make an informed decision as to their political status.”

In the video, Duke confirmed he had asked the Prime Minister for a job.

“The Prime Minister would have rightfully said I asked for a job. I called her and I did congratulate her and, as I always do to any person who holds the government, that I am available to work for and on behalf of the people of Tobago and Trinidad.”

He said he was concerned about the livelihood of the people.

“I am very much concerned about the policy that shapes the life of my people and in that regard I made myself available. It is good for the Prime Minister to put it on the table. It is also good for her to consider it because all persons of Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago and Trinidad should make themselves available for the building up of their country.”

At the post-cabinet briefing, Persad-Bissessar said Duke had congratulated her and asked for a job.

"If I were to be brutally honest, Watson Duke did send me congratulations and every good word, he also asked me for a job. I'll be honest, I did get it, and we certainly are considering it," she said.