Tobago MP to Rowley: Call elections now

Tobago West MP Delmon Baker has told Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to instruct the PNM-controlled Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to call the Tobago elections now. “We’re ready. The PP is ready and the TOP (Tobago Organisation of the People) is ready. Tell (THA leader Orville) London to call the elections,” Baker said in Parliament yesterday.

TOP is hosting a rally at Tobago’s Market Square on Saturday where the 2013 budget is expected to be discussed and PP members are expected to attend. Baker yesterday devoted his budget contribution to attacking the THA and Rowley and shoring up the PP’s stocks where allocations and other concessions for Tobago were concerned.

Quoting from previous addresses by Rowley, he said he had flip-flopped on his statements about Tobago now that elections were in the air and was pretending to be Tobago’s hero in the issue due to his political ambitions.

Baker said the PNM was afraid of a forensic audit in Tobago and of calling elections. He said the THA received the requisite amount under relevant regulations but, he added, Tobagonians wanted to know how the THA was spending its monies, particularly since some large projects were unfinished and very costly.

Baker cited queries by the Auditor General about sums of money and unspent balances. He said the THA was holding back on the unspent sums to accumulate a large amount to spend for elections. He said the THA had rejected many offers of help from PP ministers on education, works and other areas. Baker said the end of 2012 must mean the end of the PNM in Tobago.

He said Tobagonians loved the TOP and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar. He added while Tobagonians loved and referred to former president ANR Robinson as “ah we boy,” they also loved Persad Bissessar who was regarded as “ah we Prime Minister.” PNM MP Paula Gopee-Scoon said Baker was practising for Saturday’s PP rally.