People of Tobago will decide

THE EDITOR: Our system of governance in Trinidad and Tobago is supposed to be based on the decisions of the will of the governed. And in order that the Government should make laws to sustain the society in peace and the welfare of the governed maintained, the people are expected to be kept informed, so that their representatives in Government can make decisions for the benefit of the majority. In this regard, the media should play an important role. Unfortunately, in this Republic and in Tobago in particular, many units — both electronic and print — seem to be ignorant of their purpose in the scheme of things. Their functions seem to range from fairly partisan in the presentation of information, to being a bulletin board for a specific group.

Unfortunately for Tobago, the population is small and the people are therefore kept informed by personal contact and can act on issues which affect them, inspite of a particular media blitz or partisan blandishments. However, the need for a well informed public, so that decisions can be made mainly on the basis of the facts, is  essential for the maintenance of a true democracy. The Democratic Action Congress has continued its series of meetings which it had been holding intermittently throughout the island to keep the people of Tobago informed on matters which affect them. In this regard, these meetings are now of heightened interest, since the Tobago House of Assembly is prorogued and the season of election is in the air.

Its message in this series is centred on demonstrating the lack of vision in the management by the present PNM administration; its lack of visionary leadership in the interest of the people of Tobago by not preparing them for the several regional economic changes which are likely to affect their lives significantly, its unaccountability for the increased funding which the Tobago House of Assembly received as compared to that of the previous regime; its reversion to the former forms of governance of the island and the apparent increase in personal benefits of those who govern at the expense of the governed. The response of the communities at the meetings has indicated a keen awareness of the issues by the people and an empathy with the views of the speakers. Except for Roxborough, where an identified police officer (in plain clothes) who was a persistent heckler and was eventually brought to silence by the repartee of the speaker and a nondescript interloper in Bon Accord, Tobagonians seem not to have been moved by the blandishments of the PNM.

The situation in Bethel where the large crowd remained to the end and clamoured for the meeting to proceed in spite of almost two hours of electricity blackout, seems indicative of the mood of the island of Tobago for change from the governance by the PNM. It is also interesting to note that during the blackout at Bethel, a fish broth was prepared by some of the members in the crowd and served to the platform speakers. With a noticeable exception, no effort was made by the media to inform the public of the issues raised and commented on in the meetings of the Democratic Action Congress (DAC); even though they were all supplied with written information on the place, date and time of all the planned meetings. However, future actions by these organisations will certainly demonstrate their purpose for existence and will determine the scope of their integrity, especially in this season of election. Residents of Tobago be informed!! Your future and that of your children will depend on your decisions today.

J GODWYN DAVIDSON
Roxborough, Tobago