Tobago PNM slams walk out

In a statement, the PNM council condemned the “hypocritical and disrespectful behaviour” of the men who staged “what was originally deemed as a dramatic walkout during the critical debate on the crime situation in Tobago but, as was later revealed, it was just a deliberate ploy to further their agendas.”

The council alleged that the “callousness of the action” was confirmed in a letter written to a weekly newspaper by a Democratic Action Congress (DAC) party official which suggested that the pair had left to attend a planned political meeting.

It described the move as strange and revealing that the DAC leadership could have planned a political meeting on the only day of the month statutorily designated for the discussion of the business of the people in Trinidad and Tobago.

“It is utterly unacceptable that these two representatives of the people would have pretended to walk out so that they could attend a planned political meeting,” said the council.

“They must recognise that the fight against crime is everybody’s business and everybody has a responsibility to join the struggle. The Tobago Council urges the minority representative to accept that there are some issues that are just too important to the survival of Tobagonians to be sacrificed on the altar of cheap politics.”

Jack, responding to the PNM statement, said he and Charles left the session because there was no sense in wasting time on a motion that could not change the crime situation in Tobago.

Jack said they had pointed out several deficiencies in the motion to the executive council and when it was realised that nothing had been changed when it was presented during the session, both he and Charles decided “not to sit there and waste time.”

He said the party was conducting its annual series of public meetings and was not ashamed to say that they had attended one of those meetings on the night of the walk out.

“But if that is the only thing that Orville (London, THA Chief Secretary) could latch on to, when crime is at its worst in Tobago and people are now without jobs and the island is virtually at a standstill when they have been given so much money by the Central Government, then let them,” said Jack.