Opposition senator Shamfa Cudjoe says TOP leader Ashworth Jack was "left hanging" by his political colleagues when he made his concession speech. "It was somewhat unfair. They left Jack hanging. It was just him alone after the election. They were up and down to the point where the TOP candidates said they took over the show," said Cudjoe.
"They stood alone on Monday night while some ministers were back on their way to Trinidad. I did not hear the same pride. I did not hear them crying out. It is all political gimmicks,"
She made this contribution during Friday's Senate debate on a bill to round off budget 2013 into a mini-budget debate, the Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial year 2012) Bill, 2013. She accused them of ignoring the polls when it told them they were losing. "And when things don't turn out in their favour, they wonder why," added Cudjoe.
Apart from basking in the THA victory for the PNM, Cudjoe accused the People's Partnership of pulling critical social and educational programmes from Tobago. She queried the future of Tobago youth. "YTEPP has been cut by $27 million. I would like the minister (Fazal Karim) to take a look at those youth training programmes. What is going on with the youth? These institutions play a major role in the development of young people and they are important for people's economic status."