Stories by Renuka Singh
The Cabinet will soon look at two draft amendments to rectify the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) deadlock.
Speaking at a media conference yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said that after consultations with senior counsels and the Attorney General, there are two draft amendments that should be before Cabinet “shortly”.
Since the January 25 THA elections ended in a six-six tie, the assemblymen have been unable to decide on a presiding officer and the Assembly has not been constituted.
“I am advised that a draft amendment could be before the Cabinet in a matter of days,” Rowley said.
Dr Winford James
Two political analysts are now questioning the amendments proposed by the Government to fix the protracted deadlock in Tobago.
Political analyst Dr Winford James is calling on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to be clearer on the proposed amendments to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Act.
Rowley, at a media conference yesterday said that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi is currently drafting two amendments to the THA Act which is expected to be brought before Cabinet for approval before being taken to Parliament for debate in the next few weeks.
The two drafts include proposing a single person to break any deadlock and the second would seek to increase the Tobago seats from 12 to either 13, 15, or 19.
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Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar speaks during the debate on a motion of no confidence against National Security Minister Stuart Young in Parliament yesterday.
Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday said that she was “very disturbed” by the statements made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on the six-six deadlock in Tobago.
At a media conference earlier, Rowley said that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was drafting two amendments to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Act to resolve the protracted deadlock.
One amendment would give authority to one person to break deadlocks while the second amendment increases the Tobago seats from the existing 12 to 13, 15, or 19.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday revealed that the government is planning on two possible amendments to the THA Act that will allow for the breaking of the political deadlock on the sister isle.
As our readers would remember, just over a week ago, the people of Tobago voted for a new House of Assembly to govern the island. However, when the votes were counted it ended in a 6/6 tie and therefore a political stalemate.
The challenge is that the THA Act is silent on how such an outcome should be resolved if both parties refuse to co-operate or someone from one of the parties does not cross the floor to give the other a majority.