Platform Talk 2: Bombshells

PDP Political Leader, Watson Duke, addressing PDP Campaign Launch in Tobago

On the evening of Divali, the PDP of Tobago launched its marathon campaign for GE 2020 and THAE 2021.
In promoting the event, PDP Political Leader, Watson Duke, enticed the media with promises of ‘bombs’ to be dropped. On Sunday evening, he said “I know the media come here listening for bombshell …bomb. I pass dem stage. PDP pass dem stage…. We ain’t about bacchanal and dem ting.”.
But the media was not disappointed. Duke dropped a political ‘bomb’ of a different explosive power, a virtual megaton nuclear warhead.
Duke said, “I want to draw the line today in the sand …. When we get those 2 seats in the East and the West and in 6 months’ time you will have full internal self-government. Now let me explain what that means… If it wasn’t clear to you, let me tell you this. What I’m asking for is secession. We need to move away from Trinidad. But, but, the but is this, we will remain united with Trinidad just as the European Union…. all the nations are independent…”.
 Well, that was like a hurricane of a category much higher than Flora ever unleashed in Tobago.
Amid PNM’s new-found infatuation with internal self-government and self-determination after vehemently denouncing Robinson for demanding the same in the Parliament, another Tobago politician dares to use the S-word Secession and demand a New Union with Trinidad.
Duke is not the first. A P T ‘Fargo’ James Tobago’s lone representative in the LegCo 1946-1961 held the conviction ‘that the island should become a separate political unit independent of Trinidad... Until the end of his career and life he maintained the view that Tobago should secede from Trinidad.”. (Luke, Learie B.. Identity and Secession in the Caribbean: Tobago versus Trinidad, 1889-1980).
Dr. Winston Murray, Tobago Parliamentarian 1976-1981, advocated an independent Tobago with its own flag and anthem. He dramatically hoisted his Tobago flag in Scarborough and displayed it on his desk in the Parliament.
There have existed for a long time 2 political lines on how to resolve the historical hurt felt in Tobago when the colonial power, for their own purposes and reasons, decided to form an administrative union between Tobago and Trinidad making Tobago a Ward of the new unitary state.
One line supported the maintenance of the unitary state with decentralisation of state power to an institution in Tobago. The other held that Tobago should be an independent state. Some form of new union would then follow.
The fundamental problem is that Forced and Unequal union created by the British colonial power must be replaced by a Free and Equal union between the nations of Tobago and Trinidad.
Some have argued for ‘more autonomy’ or ‘internal self-government’ in the hands of the THA. Others have called for a Federal arrangement. Still others have suggested the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla model in which each was guaranteed the right to self-determination within the Constitution with the Right to Secede formally recognised.
The current Constitution Amendment (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2018 before a JSC of Parliament proposes a pseudo-federal structure with a bi-cameral Tobago Legislature, Executive Council, Public Service and Service Commission with powers to borrow from international sources.
The Rowley administration forcefully rejects the inclusion of the Right to Secede as a Constitutional guarantee of the right to self-determination for either Tobago or Trinidad.
Duke’s clear statement on full internal self-government and what it means – secession and a new and different union on a new basis is a continuation of the Fargo James-Winston Murray line in the politics of Tobago and its fight for a Free and Equal Union with Trinidad.
His bold assertion has already drawn the fire of the PNM which only in recent years has claimed that it is the champion of internal self-government for Tobago which it denounced since Robinson moved the motion in the 1980’s.
The PNM sees Duke and the PDP as a threat to its control of the THA and its continuation as the Party-in-Power in the central Government. It is also aware of the widespread dissatisfaction among Tobagonians with Kelvin Charles as Chief Secretary and taking steps to replace him.
They have been spending huge amounts on projects in Tobago to try and preserve their political control on the island and in Government and they will spend even more in the next year.  
No doubt, they will launch their own bombshells to try and counter this very bold move by Duke and the PDP and their clear objective of wresting both Tobago seats in Parliament as well as the THA from the PNM.
All of this makes for a torrid marathon campaign by both parties in Tobago.
While the parties wrestle over their self-serving interests for seats and political office, the people of Tobago, and Trinidad, must fight to ensure that their interests and those of the country are not crushed like the grass under the feet of battling elephants.
As a concerned citizen, I have made a submission to the JSC on the Tobago Self-Government Bill - http://clydeweatherheadsite.net/cw-submissions-to-jlsc.html. We all need to pay close attention to this Bill and the issue of the union between Tobago and Trinidad and not get caught up in the platform talk.

 Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for
Democratic Renewal of
Our Society and Empowerment of
the People.
October 29, 2019
 
 

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