Tobago should have more power

A member of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has declared that any celebration of “Assem-bly Day” would be meaningless with the THA not having the authority to make laws and really run the island’s affairs without “interference” from the central government in Port-of-Spain. Opposition Assem-blyman Ashworth Jack said it was like celebrating the “half freedom” that the THA enjoys at present. “Until we have law-making and policy-making powers in the THA, to celebrate Assembly Day would not have the kind of meaning that it should have for Tobagon-ians,” he declared.” It won’t have it! Because how can you celebrate and you have no freedom; and you saying it is time to celebrate the half of the freedom that we now enjoy?” 

Jack, a member of the newly-revived Democratic Action Congress (DAC), queried. He argued that the island had in place a THA where major decisions that affect the lives of the people of Tobago cannot be taken without recourse to Cabinet. While Trinidad and Tobago was currently enjoying 41 years of independence, he charged that “we have not been allowed to share in that independence.” Jack insisited that the THA must be able to make decisions without “interference from anyone.” Jack put forward the argument at Thurs-day’s monthly plenary sitting of the House as he strongly condemned a move to have Assembly Day officially celebrated on December 4 annually starting from this year, as decreed in a motion filed by THA Chief Secretary Orville Lon-don.

Jack said internal self-government for Tobago via the THA must be the “minimum” requirement before the question of any celebration of Assembly Day should even be considered worthwhile and genuine. He added that internal self-government should be the concern of every politician in the island, every Tobagonian, and declared that Tobago was not going to be part of ‘Vision 2020’ unless the island was given additional resources and responsibility.  “We have not yet arrived; we cannot celebrate!” he asserted. The motion declaring December 4  ‘As-sembly Day’ was however subsequently approved 9 — 4, with Jack and other members of the minority present in the House — Minority Leader Hochoy Charles, As-semblyman Cecil Ca-ruth, Councillor Alex Browne — voting against it.