Saturday Senate passes THA Bill

Yesterday’s Tobago House of Assembly (Election Validation) Bill 2017 was passed by 28 votes “for” and one vote “against”, with zero abstentions. With all Government and all Opposition Senators who were present backing the Bill, plus eight Independent Senators, the sole objector was Independent Senator Melissa Ramkissoon.

The Saturday setting of debate brought out some light moments in the Senate with Opposition Senator Wayne Sturge saying he hoped his was the last contribution (barring the AG) so everyone could resume their usual Saturday schedule, only to be told that his colleague, Rodger Samuel, a pastor, also wished to speak, to which Sturge remarked, “Praise the Lord!” Another light moment came in the wind-up by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi whose constant refuting of the earlier speech by Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen, brought a quip from a seated Opposition Senate Leader, Wade Mark, “I think you have a crush on Senator Ramdeen.” Al-Rawi replied, “All crushes aside, some people are not my type. I am a very happily married man.” Ramdeen stood up but did not cite any point of order to interject into the proceedings, even as Al-Rawi still stood.

Senate President Christine Kangaloo rose to restore decorum, chiding the fact of Al-Rawi, Ramdeen and Samuel having all been on their legs together.

In the debate, Sturge hit persons for blaming President Anthony Carmona for the mix up as he declared, “The President can’t set the date. That’s misleading the public”. He said few instances exist where the President can act on his own.

Saying this mix-up must never happen again regardless of whose fault it is, Sturge said no-one must use Christmas nor Carnival as any excuse for the error. “Let’s not use Carnival as an excuse: ‘Yes, I’m 70-years-old, but I have a 17-year-old to wine on down in Harris Promenade’.” Independent Senator Sophie Chote lamented an innuendo that President Carmona had messed up, saying such a claim is “absolutely unfair, untrue and disappointing”. She regretted the Bill was not being passed by any special majority (to protect it from a constitutional challenge) and she said it is now likely to be challenged in the law-courts.

Samuel was chided for tedious repetition to which he replied that his school-days had taught him that repetition is a good thing, a remark that earned him a second chiding from Kangaloo which led him to apologise.

The AG backed the Bill by saying it does not wreck anybody’s current legitimate expectations, as all THA candidates are now on an equal footing.

He said the Bill does not pertain to any legal proceedings and does not target anyone, even as the election results are not yet known for tomorrow’s polls.