Members of Tobago's TOP will have a chance in May to elect a new executive and leader and decide how the party should restructure when TOP's annual conference is held, party chairman Lionel Coker said yesterday.
He was questioned following TOP leader Ashworth Jack's announcement he had offered his resignation on February 1 to the party and it had been rejected.There has been speculation about Jack's political future as TOP leader after the January 21 landslide defeat of his party by the PNM in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) polls. The PNM took all 12 THA seats.
Jack was noticeably absent from the head table at Monday's press conference where Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced Government's nomination of Justice Anthony Carmona for President of T&T.Sitting at the table with COP leader Prakash Ramadhar and former MSJ leader Errol McLeod and TOP member and MP Vernella Alleyne Toppin. Tobago MP Delmon Baker also was absent.
In a two-page resignation letter to Coker, Jack said the party had made "considerable strides" since he was elected political leader.He said the TOP had two elected MPs and one senator in Parliament. At least 50 Tobagonians also serve on state boards in every sphere of activity, he added.Jack also stated that "until a week ago" TOP had four elected assemblymen and one minority councillor
He listed nine projects and programmes initiated under his tenure, ranging from offering of the full Bachelors of Education Programme in Tobago, to the installation of 149 CCTV cameras to combat crime.
Among the achievements for which Jack took credit was the naming of the Tobago airport after ANR Robinson and the 24-hour opening of the terminal along with runway upgrades.In his closing paragraph, Jack stated: " In spite of all these achievements, the TOP was not successful in the recently-concluded THA election."As political leader of the party the responsibility for this stops with me. As such I wish to give the party a fair opportunity to assess the way forward and I therefore offer by resignation with immediate effect."
It was signed "Ashworth M Jack".ack was not available for comment after he issued the letter to the T&T Guardian.Coker, however, was asked what would happen after Jack said the party had rejected his resignation.He said while the party had opted to reject the resignation and continue to support Jack, some introspection had to be done and TOP had to be restructured.
Coker said the term of the current executive, as well as Jack's term of leadership, was up in May. He said all executive members would then have to account for their stewardship.He said the executive was leaving all questions facing the party up to members to decide, including whether they wanted to return the current team and leader or not.Following the January 21 defeat, Tobago Affairs Minister Delmon Baker was tipped to replace Jack.