NAR chaos deepens further

The confusion within the ranks of the NAR Tobago deepened further yesterday, with political leader Cecil Caruth claiming that NAR supporters in the sister isle and “at least” one member of the party’s Tobago executive will follow his lead and join forces with Hochoy Charles’ Democratic Action Congress (DAC) for the January 17 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections. However, party chairman Christo Gift was adamant that no NAR member supports Caruth and the party could decide to take punitive action against him at an executive meeting scheduled for 5 pm in Scarborough. Speaking with Newsday, Caruth did not rule out the possibility of some NAR candidates taking the same decision which he did over the weekend to contest the elections on the DAC’s platform.

He said since taking that decision, he has been receiving calls of support from NAR supporters both in Trinidad and in Tobago. Caruth also said at least one member of the NAR’s Tobago executive is supporting his decision. He expressed confidence that the majority of NAR supporters will soon realise that he had no choice but to take the action that he did and that an NAR-DAC alliance was the only way to beat the PNM. Caruth reiterated his view that this alliance made “good sense for Tobago.” Asked whether a fixed deadline had been set regarding the establishment of this alliance, Caruth replied that there was none.

Asked about his own political future, regardless of the elections outcome, Caruth said he would have to give consideration to that issue and did not eliminate the possibility of a vote of no-confidence being moved against him by the Tobago executive. In stark contrast, Gift told Newsday that NAR supporters are “dismayed and disgusted” by Caruth’s action and the NAR Tobago executive “to a man” does not support him. He disclosed that the executive was due to meet late yesterday to discuss several issues and disciplinary action against Caruth could be one of them. According to Gift, Caruth appeared to have been acting as a “Trojan Horse” for some time and his goal was to slow down the NAR’s election preparedness. Gift reiterated that the NAR will be ready for the January 17 elections and he will be one of its candidates. He said the party will announce its candidates before December 23 (Nomination Day) and it is preparing an election manifesto. The DAC is due to present its candidates on December 19.