21 YEAR REIGNING POLITICAL PARTY ACCEPTS HISTORIC DEFEAT IN TOBAGO

By a Staff Reporter: The Tobago House of Assembly’s Chief Designate Farley Chavez Augustine clarified his party’s take on autonomy and secession following a historic landslide win in Monday’s Tobago House of Assembly election.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission's preliminary results on Tuesday showed the Progressive Democratic Patriots won 14 of the 15 electoral districts in Monday's Tobago House of Assembly elections- breaking People’s National Movement’s 21-year management of the THA.

The EBC said it has received official requests for recounts in the electoral districts of Buccoo/Mt Pleasant and Darrel Spring/Whim.

During a state media interview on Tuesday, a fatigued deputy political leader of the PDP Farley Augustine said that a false narrative has been created around his party’s take on succession and autonomy. He noted that the autonomy bill is incomplete and still does not allow Tobago to run its own functions outside of social and economic development.

He went on to list some issues which should be addressed in the autonomy bills such as state lands being controlled by the Ministry of Housing in Trinidad and even Town and Country Planning. He said the bill must clearly state what belongs to Tobago, including bodies of water; system that exists in countries around the world such as the UK.