Newly-sworn in members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) are being told the elections are over and it is time to govern the island.
The call was made by President Anthony Carmona yesterday, as he addressed those present at the tenth inauguration of the THA.
Carmona said he was relieved the process was over, adding the victors should now get to work. He also strongly objected to some of the utterings made during the recent campaign trail.
"In congratulating all the successful candidates in the THA elections after a hard-fought battle among the parties, where sometimes reason fled, as so often happens when adversarial politics occurs on the hustings, when there are things that are said that should never be said and where vitriol and rancour became oppressive to the law-abiding citizens watching on and we do take small comfort, we resign to warm characterisation of it being the result of a silly season. It is however over," he said
He said like the rest of Trinidad and Tobago, he welcomed the sense of calm, harmony and celebration which was being realised by the inauguration ceremony. He said there was also a need to recognise that both Trinidad and Tobago need each other to be successful.
"In our Westminster form of governance, what is exercised is not really a separation of powers, but an interdependence of powers and practically, what binds and keeps our democracy together is the practice of independence of powers.
"No one in governance should ever aspire to be an island. The unwavering support of institutional systems grounded into the interdependencies is critical in upholding the tenets of a practical, sustainable democracy," Carmona said.
He also touched on the spiralling crime in the country. he said it was possible to reduce crime but it would take the unified and collaborative approach by all sectors in society.