Tobago NAR rejects UNC

The Tobago arm of the NAR has rejected the idea of an accommodation with the UNC to fight the July 14 local government elections, as proposed by the NAR National Executive. A statement from NAR Tobago yesterday said its Tobago Island Council had on Monday rejected the proposed deal. The statement, signed by NAR Tobago chairman, Christo Gift, said: “We in Tobago remain unimpressed by the initiative as presented to us and see the National Executive of the NAR’s justifications for such an alliance as being on one hand ‘pie in the sky’ and on the other hand, ‘a sell out’. We shall have none of it. If the members of the National Executive have short memories, we in Tobago do not”. NAR Tobago said they recalled the UNC’s disdain for the NAR National Executive after the UNC ascended to Government in coalition with NAR. “We remember the reversals in the Tobago House of Assembly Act 1996 by the introduction of legislation after legislation whose sole purpose was to erode the authority of the THA. We recall how capriciously the two NAR senators were dismissed when they stood against the UNC over Tobago’s interest. We have seen how casually the UNC entered into a written agreement with the PNM at the level of political leader and then just walk away from it”.

Tobago NAR was also upset at what they called UNC leader Basdeo Panday’s damnable, disparaging and contemptuous words about the President Arthur NR Robinson. “Indeed, even as recently as Sunday 27 April, the Political Leader of the UNC and Opposition Leader, in addressing the UNC’s 14th anniversary celebrations at Centre Point Mall, Chaguanas, continued his vilification of Mr Robinson along with his condemnation of the NAR”. The statement added: “We would be ethically bereft if we turned a blind eye to the unending list of allegations of financial impropriety which are to be associated with the UNC’s tenure in government...”. The Tobago NAR concluded: “Until there is some public expression of regret and contrition by the UNC, we shall not be swayed in our objection to this accommodation, not even by the likelihood of a ‘mess of pottage’ in the nature of appointments as aldermen”.