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Tobago election date coming soon? TPP Leader Farley Augustine hints at a possible timeline for the upcoming election in Tobago, suggesting it could be before the end of the year, or early December. He emphasizes that he has no pre-set date in mind.

Augustine explains the unique, semi-fixed election arrangement in Tobago, contrasting it with the National Parliament. This system allows for flexibility to avoid conflicts with major national events like Carnival.

The goal is to ensure that the election date doesn't clash with significant cultural activities, allowing Tobagonians to fully participate in both the democratic process and national celebrations. The exact date will be chosen carefully!

#TobagoElections #FarleyAugustine #PoliticalUpdate #TobagoPolitics
Transcript
00:00You will get that, yeah, more than likely before the month or by the earliest, maybe 1st of December or so.
00:06But very soon you will have an election date.
00:08Check my back pockets. They're all sewn up and empty.
00:12I have no...
00:13Nothing in front?
00:14Nothing with pockets at all. Pockets are empty, so I have no date in any back pockets, right?
00:18The thing is, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
00:21The Tobago House of Assembly has a semi-fixed arrangement where the House dissolves for itself automatically.
00:30And if it has to be dissolved before, then it must be by resolution.
00:34If you think in comparison to the National Parliament, the Prime Minister could wake up right now and just signal to the President,
00:43Parliament done, back to election. That's it.
00:45No consultation with anybody. The members of the House doesn't even have to vote or decide.
00:52It's not like that in Tobago.
00:53So we have a semi-fixed arrangement.
00:55Our law also says that the election must be within two to three months after the House is dissolved.
01:02Now, the reason why we didn't land...
01:04The law doesn't have a definite fixed date is because you never know what is happening in the society at the time that that date might land on.
01:13Right now, given when the House is dissolved, we have a National Carnival program happening.
01:20So if we had a fixed date, chances are we could end up with an election on the same day we have a Panama Finals, for example.
01:27And then if that happens, then people in Tobago have to choose between going to a Panama Finals in Trinidad or voting.
01:33So the benefit of not having it super fixed is that we could actually look at the Carnival calendar, for example,
01:39because that's what's happening now, and try to pick a date that will not collide with any of the other national...
01:45...
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