SCARBOROUGH, Tobago -- Tobago, the sister island of Trinidad, wants to have more say in its affairs and to this end a move is being made to amend its constitution.
A draft amendment Bill, which was prepared by five experienced nationals, Reginald Dumas, Anslem Richards, George Bobb, Alvin Thompson and Jeff Davidson, is now being circulated to be reviewed by Tobagonians.
The Bill seeks to alter sections 5 and 53 of the Constitution and would require the approval of a special majority of Parliament.
The amendment seeks a minimum appropriation of 6.9 percent of the national budget to be allocated to Tobago through a Tobago House of Assembly Fund. Another highlight of the proposed Bill is to provide that the powers of the Assembly and the Executive Council would have effect in the island of Tobago and up to ten nautical miles from the baselines of Tobago.
A top Tobago official made it quite clear that the island does not want to secede from Trinidad, but merely wants to have more say in its internal affairs.
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