RESPECT TOBAGO AUTONOMY PROCESS

CCNTV6

Assemblyman Kelvon Morris, Minority Leader in the Tobago House of Assembly is expressing concern over a recent statement made by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine concerning Tobago's autonomy negotiations. This, as the Minority Leader issued a statement to the media on the matter. More in this Elizabeth Williams report.

Transcript

00:00The Chief Secretary Fahli Agustin told TV6 News on Monday of his intention to write to

00:06the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and all parliamentarians stating that he plans

00:12to initiate discussions on Tobago's autonomy.

00:15To facilitate these discussions, he has indicated his intention to appoint a technical team

00:21for this purpose.

00:23However, the minority leader said this unilateral decision to create a technical team is deeply

00:29concerning as it was made without the approval of the Tobago House of Assembly.

00:35Minority Leader Kelvin Morris said the Assembly recently passed a motion explicitly calling

00:41for a bipartisan meeting between members of the THA and the Members of the Parliament

00:47to address Tobago's autonomy position.

00:50He said the Chief Secretary's approach disregards this bipartisan directive and opts instead

00:56for a technical team arrangement that the Assembly never authorised.

01:01Therefore, the minority leader says he's calling on the Chief Secretary to respect

01:06the authority of the Tobago House of Assembly and honour the institution's democratic processes.

01:13He adds that the Chief Secretary's move to constitute a technical team is not only unauthorised

01:19but is also a clear departure from the intent of the Assembly's resolution and by failing

01:25to follow this resolution, the Chief Secretary is undermining the collective will of the

01:30THA.

01:31Kelvin Morris says as minority leader, he stands firmly in support of the Assembly's

01:37call for a unified and bipartisan approach to discussions on Tobago's autonomy.

01:44He cautions that this is not a time for independent, isolated actions but a moment for collaboration

01:52and respect for the Assembly's mandate.

01:55Morris said the autonomy discussion is a matter of utmost importance to all Tobagonians and

02:01it is only through collective representation that the PNM can ensure the interests of Tobago

02:08are fully protected and advanced.

02:11Morris is urging the Chief Secretary to work within the framework set by the THA to engage

02:17all members of Parliament in a unified and bipartisan manner.

02:21Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.

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