‘Caruth has hurt NAR’

Reporting from Tobago  National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) Tobago chairman Christo Gift yesterday admitted NAR Tobago leader Cecil Caruth’s decision to “jump ship,” had hurt the party’s preparations for the January 17 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections. However Gift does not believe Caruth’s action has handed the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) any significant advantage at this stage of the game. At a news conference on Saturday, Caruth announced that he would be contesting the elections on a Democratic Action Congress (DAC) platform and that Tobagonians believed a NAR-DAC alliance could defeat the PNM. Gift told Newsday that Caruth’s conduct was “most reprehensible” and unbecoming of a political leader of any party.

He claimed that Caruth’s decision was the result of private talks between Caruth and DAC leader Hochoy Charles, which had been ongoing for some time. The NAR Tobago chairman said there is no question that Caruth’s actions would have an effect on the party’s preparations for the January 17 polls, but he remained confident that the party would not be daunted by this unforeseen setback. “We will have to redouble our efforts,” he stated. Gift assured Tobagonians that the NAR still had many men and women of “better capacity and resolute disposition who are committed to seeing this fight through to the end — win, lose or draw.” Asked about the possibility of a NAR-DAC alliance given this latest political twist in the THA election campaign, Gift said it would now be harder for the party to discern whether or not the DAC was acting in “good faith.” While reiterating that the NAR would remain open to any new initiatives from the DAC, the NAR Tobago chairman said it would be “harder to broker a deal” given the events of the last 24 hours.

Gift also said NAR chairman Rawle Raphael and other NAR executives in Trinidad were mistaken when they told reporters on Saturday that talks were ongoing between the NAR and DAC to form an alliance. Contacted yesterday, NAR Political Leader Lennox Sankersingh said none of the party’s Trinidad officials would be making any further public statements about the THA elections, and all questions on this matter should be referred to Gift. Sankersingh said too many people were talking on the subject and the result was a myriad of mixed signals which were confusing the population. The NAR leader said as far as he was aware, Caruth remained an NAR member and had not decided to resign from the party and join the DAC.

Sankersingh declined comment when questioned further about Caruth’s exact status within the party. Meanwhile, Gift insisted that the current troubles within the NAR have not given the edge to the PNM. According to the NAR Tobago chairman, the PNM has troubles of its own and there is a division within the party over the selection of its THA candidates.  The PNM completed its screening exercises on Saturday and its candidates were presented to the public at a mass rally at the Signal Hill Senior Comprehensive School. The feature address was delivered by THA Chief Secretary Orville London. The PNM has two major public meetings scheduled for the Scarborough Market car park and the Roxborough Market car park on January 2 and January 5 respectively. Party sources indicated that Prime Minister and PNM Political Leader Patrick Manning is likely to deliver the keynote address at the January 2 meeting.