Moore eyes Tobago West

Moore was addressing a medium sized gathering at the organisation’s membership meeting and election mobilisation rally at Bishop’s High School, Mt Marie in Scarborough. In her maiden speech as Tobago Forwards leader, the Lambeau-born attorney said the decision was indeed a hard one.

“Thought long and hard about accepting the mantle. The sacrifices over the next three months would be tough and the next few years would be even more challenging. But what if I didn’t walk it?

“What if when I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’ What if I remained silent? What if I pretended that I didn’t hear God’s voice or I said ‘Send Paul’, ‘Send James’ and ‘Send John’? I would dishonour God, dishonour my family, dishonour my heritage and dishonour you Tobagonians who are crying for a voice. So I said ‘Lord, Here am I. Send me!’,” she explained.

Moore noted that for too long Tobago has been begging for Internal Self Government, adding that the issue of self-determination must now become the electoral issue of the 2015 general election.

“Between 1977 and 2015 there have been 26 attempts to win internal self-Government for Tobago. During that time the matter has always rested with some central Government or other: PNM; NAR; PP.

“The only common matter in all 26 attempts is that they have all failed. No external friend or foe in Trinidad has been able to give us what we need because the need is external to them... it is removed from them, it is not a priority to them. We have been supplicants, beggars at many a Trinidad tables asking ‘Please Sir, may I have some bread’, only to be beaten by Port- of-Spain and turned away.

“The task is now self-determination. Tobago says what Tobago wants. And Tobago’s children will move hell and high water to get it. The central demand is that whoever forms the government in Trinidad after the 7 of September must negotiate with us on the issue of self-determination for Tobago,” Moore indicated.

She added that the general election must be seen as a referendum in Tobago which says “we are confirming our right to self-determination by the votes that Tobagonians will give on that day for their two Mps.”

“The role of the two Tobago MPs over the years has now been confirmed to be little more than propping up a major party in Trinidad to help them capture power. The time to change that is now!

“The votes being cast for two MPs from Tobago must be for two persons who are not going to prop up any government, but rather for two persons who are going to the national Parliament with one agenda item and that is Tobago’s right to self-determination which will lead to its own decision-making about its future constitutional status.”

The voice of Tobago, she said, will always be heard on every issue in the next Parliament with the Forwards. Christlyn Moore was appointed Minister of Justice on September 26, 2012 under the People’s Partnership. She is a seasoned practitioner with more than 16 years litigation experience at both the criminal and civil bar.

Moore will come up against the PNM’s Shamfa Cudjoe for the Tobago West seat. Both the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) and the Tobago Platform of Truth (TPT) are yet to announce their candidates.