Ashworth Jack says he is ready to quit

Up until last week. Sunday, the TOP and. the TF - the latter being. a breakaway faction. of the former. were engaged in talks. with the aim of merging. both organisations. in an effort to contest. the upcoming Tobago. House of Assembly. (THA) elections. constitutionally due in. January.

Currently, these. talks have been halted. as Jack claims that. his organization is not. been given information. prior to some of. the coalition’s decisions. and he refuses. to walk into a situation. in which he has. no control. “About the. issue of the Chairman,. I immediately objected. because the Chairman. is also a member or a. supporter of the Tobago. Forwards and I said. that I cannot support. a Political Leader and. a Chairman belonging. to the same organization.

If you understand. politics, the political. leader and the Chairman. really make a lot. of the decisions in the. absence of the executive,. that is why I could. not have agreed to. that,” Jack said.

He added that while. he does not object. to Moore being the. leader, however, it is. the time frame that is. worrying him. “I was. told that we should. elect an interim leader. for three years, again. I object. This is two. organisations coming. together, we’ve agreed. to allow the leader of. one of the organisations. to assume interim. leadership of the. organization. I have. never heard anywhere. in the world nor can I. subscribe to an interim. leader holding office. for three years, you. would create your own. problem, its undemocratic.

Therefore I told. the coordinator that. this is something that I. could not support and. I still cannot, my position. on that has not. and will not change.”. The political leader. stressed that he would. tender his resignation. as soon as the problems. regarding the two. parties coming together. are smoothed out.

He is adamant that the. TOP remains open to. the amalgamation of. the political forces but. acknowledged that. it must be done in as. short time as possible,. if all the issues are to. be ironed out. “I am. not going to walk until. all the issues of the. arrangement is made.

The day it is done, I. would hand my resignation. to the Chairman. of the TOP and. he would take it from. there.”. Despite the disagreements,. the TOP leader. is willing to work towards. the new union.

Meanwhile, TF Political. Leader Christlyn. Moore has indicated. that the decisions were. confirmed. “I think. that they may have. been a little bit overwhelmed. and wanted. more time to deal with. their feelings.

“It is a big decision. and perhaps having. made it, so perhaps, I. can only speculate at. this time. We have to. be patient because we. are not privy to all the. matters surrounding. their inability to make. this decision, perhaps. there are things that. we don’t know about. but we have to give. them an opportunity. to resolve whatever is. playing out internally. to make this happen,”. Moore said. In the interim,. Moore added,. there has not been any. talks with any of the. other opposition parties. as it is not a priority. matter. She added. though, “certainly if. the opportunity arises,. we would have discussions. with them.”.