By Therese Baptiste-Cornelis
The Prime Minister’s announcement that Tobago should be guaranteed two seats in the Senate may sound attractive, particularly to a population that has long sought greater representation and autonomy.
But good governance requires more than making announcements that sound appealing. It requires honesty about what is constitutionally and politically achievable.
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟰𝟬 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱.
Amending it requires a three-quarters majority in the House of Representatives and a two-thirds majority in the Senate. The Government does not possess those majorities.
Furthermore, if the intention is to reduce the President’s nine Independent Senate appointments to seven to accommodate the two Tobago seats, this raises another fundamental question:
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗼’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?
There is also the matter of political reality. Where is the evidence of the broad parliamentary consensus necessary to deliver this amendment? Has such agreement been sought or secured?
A Prime Minister knows, or certainly ought to know, these constitutional requirements before making such a public announcement.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Tobagonians deserve genuine constitutional reform, meaningful consultation and a credible legislative pathway—not raised expectations that may subsequently be dashed by predictable parliamentary realities.
If the Government is serious, let it publish the proposed amendment, explain the implications for the Independent Bench, and demonstrate how it intends to secure the necessary parliamentary support.
𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱.
The people of Tobago deserve more than promises that sound good from a political platform.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
