Tobago’s Autonomy Ultimatum
A decisive plan has been unveiled to settle the long-standing debate over Tobago’s autonomy once and for all. Addressing a Tobago People’s Party (TPP) meeting ahead of the January 12 polls, Faith Brebnor outlined a strategy to dismantle the criticism that the island « doesn’t know what it wants » regarding self-governance.
Following the election, a dedicated working group will assemble to review and consolidate the various versions of autonomy bills circulated over the years. This review will include everything from debates over maritime boundaries—specifically the contention between « 8 miles versus 11 miles »—to the drafts submitted by former Chief Secretary Orville London in 2016. The objective is to pull the most logical and beneficial components from each draft to create a single, unified document that reflects the true will of the island.
Crucially, this initiative proposes a significant step beyond mere legislative drafting: a referendum. The party intends to present this « singular document » directly to the people of Tobago to secure their explicit agreement. This move is designed to ensure that when the island demands autonomy, it does so with one undeniable voice, asserting « Tobago is we » and ending the narrative of division.
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