Tobago’s only way forward

Tobago, which before the Union had a more advanced form of government than Trinidad, suffered more; since Trinidad received a hegemonic role in the Union.

From the inception, each representative from Tobago in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago has been struggling to rectify this inequity.

The proposed Act, with the concurrent constitutional amendments, provides for a Union built on the concept of a more equitable governance.

Beginning with James A Biggart through the redoubtable A P T James, ANR Robinson, Dr Winston Murray, and Ms Pamela Nicholson, supported by countless other Tobagonians; the struggle for a more equal place in the Union has been the constant advocacy of the representatives from Tobago in the parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

The leaders in the government of Trinidad and Tobago have, over the years, made statements indicating their knowledge of the existing inequity in the governance of the Union; but the exchange of that knowledge for what is right, has never been fully realised.

In 1957 Dr Eric Williams, the then Premier and subsequent Prime Minister of the Union, stated that “for close on 60 years the Government of Trinidad and Tobago up to the present one, has had the opportunity of emphasising its neglect and underlining the betrayal of the trust imposed on it by the Act of Union.”

In 1984 Sir Ellis Clarke, a former President of the Union tacitly acknowledged that the terms of the union were not just, when he stated that the two islands will “now walk side-by-side and not one behind the other.”

‘De mortuis nihil nissi bonum’ With apology to the “Latin scholars”, this quotation is translated as “of the dead, speak only good” or as some say, “speak no evil of the dead.”

Therefore, it is only to be noted that no mention is made of the side-by-side role of Tobago, in the 2006 published draft of the amendments to the TT Constitution of which Sir Ellis is said to be the author.

The present government has indicated quite explicitly, both in its manifesto document and in its government policy programme, that it is prepared to correct the injustice imposed on Tobago when the Union was created, by providing it with full internal Self-Government within the Union.

Democracy in its simplest interpretation is government of the people, for the people, by the people; therefore, providing for the welfare of the people who are governed must be the primary focus of any governance which is stated to be rooted in democracy and the rule of law.

J GODWYN-DAVIDSON

Mt Grace