By KARL E CUPID Tobago Bureau Monday, October 29 2007

FORMER Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly Dr Jeff Davidson is worried that there might be a “sinister plan” to place the Assembly under the Ministry of Local Government.

Davidson, a member of the Tobago United Front/Democratic Action Congress (TUF/DAC) Steering Committee, raised the issue during a public meeting at Delaford, east Tobago, on Saturday night. He said the question was relevant in light of the recent establishment of an office of the Ministry of Local Government at Plymouth, Tobago.

Speaking in support of the TUF/DAC Alliance Tobago East candidate Hochoy Charles, Davidson slammed Local Government Minister Rennie Dumas, the PNM’s candidate for the seat, charging that he had not “worked in favour” of Tobago in the area of local government reform. Dumas, who hails from Plymouth, has been criticised by opposition groups in Tobago for allegedly “watering down” the authority of the THA.

Davidson pointed out that according to the THA Act No 40 of 1996 the THA is not a local government body.

“But now they want to raise the level of the local government bodies in Trinidad to the level of the Assembly. They want to keep the THA at the same level and raise the level of the local government bodies to that of the THA,” he stated.

Davidson said the THA Act (1996),which replaced the THA Act No 37 of 1980, has not given Tobago full internal self-government as originally demanded in the ANR Robinson motion of 1977.

“We will continue to raise our voices in protest, we will continue the struggle until we get full internal self-government!” he declared.