Ramesh Maharaj to check records on UNC 1996 Tobago bill

FORMER attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj on Thursday said he was not in a position to agree or disagree with the Prime Minister's statements on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Act of 1996.

The PM had said the PNM always supported internal self-government for Tobago but was against a constitutional amendment proposed to increase the size of the Senate.

This contradicted an account of events reportedly given by Maharaj.

Maharaj promised to check the records and respond in full to Dr Rowley next week.

At the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's, Dr Rowley said Maharaj was wrong to say the PNM never supported internal self-government for Tobago in 1996. Rowley argued the Hansard of that time showed the PNM did support greater autonomy for Tobago, but not an associated amendment to the Constitution to increase the Senate's size from 31 to 37, with the opposition still only having six senators.

He said it was possible that Maharaj's recollection of those events, 25 years later, could be foggy.

In response, Maharaj said, "In deference to the Prime Minister, I will check the records.

"What I do recall," he added, "is that the UNC administration introduced a policy to give self-government to the people of Tobago within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago."

Maharaj, who was AG at the time, recalled, "There was opposition from the then opposition in Parliament (the PNM)."

Owing to that opposition, Maharaj said, "We (UNC) then had consultations in Tobago in relation to the bill that we had.

"Then, when it was realised that could not pass it with a simple majority, the bill that we had, we then decided to give as much self-government as possible, so that we could have passed it with a simple majority."

He admitted he did not have any recollection of "all the exact provisions of the initial bill, because that has been a hell of a long time."

He said after checking all the records he would call a news conference next Monday or Tuesday.

By that time, Maharaj said, he could see whether the Prime Minister was correct or not.

"If he's correct, I will have to admit it. If he is not correct, I will have to say it is not correct and point out exactly what the facts are."

Next week, Maharaj said, "I would like to take the opportunity of giving the country an idea, with the consultation in Tobago, what happened, and probably try to offer some solutions to the problem (Monday's six-six election deadlock between the PNM and PDP).

On Wednesday, Maharaj said his recollection of the 1996 THA Act suggested a fresh election was needed to break the current impasse and the legislation does not permit the election of a presiding officer for the assembly.