Re: Misleading claims about the THA election date

On many occasions, I have chosen to ignore false and misleading information placed in the public domain by political parties. However, I must respond to the often repeated statement by the Tobago Forwards that, because of influence from Trinidad, the date for the Tobago House of Assembly election could not have been named until after the Local Government election.

The leaders within the Tobago Forwards movement know or should have known that under the Tobago House of Assembly Act, “The President, after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary, shall fix the date of a primary election, which date shall not be earlier than expiration of two months after the dissolution of the Assembly nor later than the expiration of three months after that dissolution”.

The Assembly was dissolved on Thursday November 17 and, as occurred on every similar situation in the past, the consultations will take place and the President will make the announcement at the appropriate time.

The timing and the content of the President’s announcement have nothing to do with the Local Government Election nor any Trinidad influence. I continue to hope that the Tobago Forwards will desist from insulting the intelligence of the Tobago electorate by placing into the public domain, information that is false and easily refuted.

Orville London
Chief Secretary
Tobago House of Assembly.