Who is popular today?

No deal.
This was the outcome of Wednesday’s highly-anticipated meeting between the People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), to discuss power sharing within the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) until a solution to end the six-six deadlock is reached.
The meeting, held in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, began at 4 pm and lasted just over one hour.
It included all six elected PNM assemblymen and three of their PDP counterparts – political leader Watson Duke and deputy leaders Farley Augustine and Dr Faith BYisrael.
After the meeting, Duke and PNM leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine gave contrasting accounts of what transpired.
Duke told reporters outside the Assembly, Davidson-Celestine produced a document calling on the PDP to apologise for statements made against her party during the January 25 THA election campaign. Duke said the PNM attempted to humiliate his party members and talks eventually broke down.
“What we found quite reprehensible and unbecoming of Tracy is that she set out before us a document designed to humiliate the PDP six.
“You could imagine a document that involves an apology inside of it, that the political leader of the PDP must apologise to the nation for statements made on the hustings.”
Duke said the election campaign involved banter from both parties.
“They made statements against me – abusing PDP people. We made statements against them, but she created a document of humiliation...”
The PDP leader, who retained the Roxborough/Delaford seat, said at the meeting the party agreed it will unequivocally support any person the PNM nominates for presiding officer and chief secretary.
But Duke took umbrage with the PNM’s request that the PDP supply "resumes" for the nominees they intend to put forward for four secretarial positions in the THA.
“It was not good enough for her (Davidson-Celestine) to return the same favour to PDP. What she set out to do was further humiliate us by saying to us we must supply her with names, resumes and biographies for every candidate put forward and they will decide the best fit.”
Duke said the PDP rejected the request.
“We could not accept that in all fairness. As much as we love the people of Tobago and want to advance self-government, respect begets respect. And so, we had to leave the conversation there and tell her we hope that she has a change of heart, and that her position changes on these issues and we are willing to meet again.”
Davidson-Celestine, who won the Lambeau/Signal Hill seat, denied requesting resumes for the PDP nominees for secretaries.
[caption id="attachment_879008" align="alignnone" width="1024"] PNM Tobago Council political leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine, left, and Scarborough/Calder Hall assemblyman Marslyn Melville-Jack enter the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, Wednesday. - Photo by David Reid[/caption]
“I never said that...I am indicating to you exactly what transpired in the meeting. We asked for no bios. We asked for no resumes,” she told reporters.
“I said we will share with you four of the secretaries and we will take five.”
Davidson-Celestine said she asked the PDP to submit the four nominees for secretaries “at an agreed time.
“So, it does not have to be today, it does not have to be next week. When we both agree that the names should come forward, then so be it.”
She said the PNM also did not request to screen any of the nominees the PDP puts forward.
“All we said, submit the names but bear in mind that the chief secretary has the authority and responsibility to organise the executive council in a manner that will cause Tobago’s resources to be managed, and govern the people in a particular way.”
Davidson-Celestine said, from a legislative standpoint the PDP has agreed to support the PNM’s nominee for presiding officer. She added the PDP has also agreed to submit a nominee for deputy presiding officer.
But in terms of administration, Davidson-Celestine said “one has to understand the basis and intent of the THA Act.
“It speaks to the chief secretary carrying out certain roles and responsibilities and having the authority to manage the executive council in a particular way.”
She said the PNM had no problem with sharing the secretarial positions in the executive council.
“As we know, the executive council is made up of nine positions – the chief secretary, the deputy chief secretary and then not more than seven other secretaries. We are prepared to share with them four out of the nine.”
Pressed by the media on what she meant by the chief secretary having the authority to "manage" the executive council, Davidson-Celestine said, "We recognise the PDP has a challenge with following the THA Act, we recognise they have a challenge with following the law, and we recognise they have a challenge following the spirit and the intent of the THA Act. All we are saying here can be found in the THA Act 40 of 1996. We are not unreasonable."

The post No THA deal: PNM, PDP butt heads on power sharing appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.