NAR PREPARED TO GO IT ALONE

Declaring that a change in the name of the party will not change Democratic Action Congress (DAC) leader Hochoy Charles or his style of leadership, the National Alliance for Reconstruction’s (NAR) Tobago arm yesterday made it clear the party would be contesting the January 17 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election as a single entity. Talks between the DAC and the NAR to forge an alliance to contest the election have failed. “Although we have not closed the door to new initiatives, it does not appear that a viable solution will be found before the election as would allow for any alliance between both parties,” NAR Tobago chairman Christo Gift acknowledged in a release yesterday.

He stressed, “The NAR is not now, nor has it ever been prepared to surrender its name and banner to fight under that of the DAC nor accept the leadership of Mr Charles.” Gift said the NAR had put forward alternatives, in keeping with the repeated call from the public during the last four elections (three general elections and a THA election). “Unity, yes, but under new leadership!” He said the NAR was “convinced that despite the obvious failings of the PNM, that has not erased the qualities wanting in the leadership style of Mr Charles, nor in their perception of his excesses.”

Gift added, “Neither can we glibly overlook the mantra of the days of the DAC when we chanted, ‘For-ward ever, backward never,’ or that it was under Mr Charles’ leadership that the NAR party lost both its political representation in Parliament and its political control of the THA, after more than 20 consecutive years of leadership in the politics of Tobago. Surely, a change of name will not change the man or his leadership!” he declared.