Tobago House of Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Tenth Assembly | |
) Seal of the Tobago House of Assembly | |
) Flag of the Tobago House of Assembly | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Presiding Officer | Oswald Williams since 25 September 2020 |
Chief Secretary | Ancil Dennis, PNM since 6 May 2020 |
Minority Leader | Watson Duke, PDP since 3 January 2017 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 12 |
) | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 25 January 2021 |
Next election | 2025 or earlier |
| Meeting place | |
| Assembly Legislative Chambers, Jermingham Street, Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago | |
| Website | |
| http://www.tha.gov.tt/ | |
)
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is a unicameral autonomous legislative body responsible for the island of Tobago within the unitary state of Trinidad and Tobago. The THA was established in 1980[1] to rectify some of the disparities in the relationship between the two islands, though a prior body using the same name existed from 1768 to 1874.[2] In addition to the normal local government functions the THA handles many of the responsibilities of the central government, but has limited ability to collect taxes and impose local law or zoning regulations. At the helm of the Assembly Legislature is the Presiding Officer with the twelve elected assemblymen, and four appointed councillors. Three of the councillors are appointed on the advice on the Chief Secretary and one on the advice of the Minority Leader. The Chief Secretary is the leader of the majority party in the assembly and is at the helm of the Executive arm of the THA.[3]
History
The first THA elections were held on November 24, 1980. The Democratic Action Congress led by A.N.R. Robinson won eight seats and the People's National Movement (PNM) won four seats (a reversal of the 1977 County Council elections in which the PNM won seven seats and the DAC 4). The DAC went on to win the 1984 elections by a margin of 11–1 over the PNM. The National Alliance for Reconstruction (into which the DAC merged in 1986) continued to dominate the THA winning the 1988 elections, and the 1992 elections by an 11-1 margin over the PNM. It won the 1996 elections by a margin of 10–2, with the PNM and an independent candidate winning one seat each.
In the 2001 elections the PNM gained control of the THA, winning 8 seats to the NAR's four. The PNM consolidated their hold on the THA in the January 2005 elections winning 11 seats while the DAC (which reformed after splintering from the NAR in 2004) gained a single seat.
In the 2009 elections held on January 19, 2009, the PNM won 8 seats while a new party, the Tobago Organization of the People won 4 seats.[4]
In the 2013 elections, the TOP was defeated in a landslide by the PNM, losing the 4 seats it held previously, giving the PNM complete control of the THA.[5] However, Chief Seceretary Orville London asked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to introduce a bill in the country's parliament that would change the country's constitution to allow the President of the Republic to choose two independent councillors at his/her discretion to serve as opposition in the THA in the event of a 12-0 election result.[6]
Current Assembly Members
| Incumbent | Party | Electoral District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Jack | PNM | Bacolet/Mount. St. George | |
| Watson Duke | PDP | Belle Garden East/Roxborough/Delaford | |
| Terance Baynes | PDP | Bethel/Mt. Irvine | |
| Kelvin Charles | PNM | Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden | |
| Ancil Dennis | PNM | Buccoo/Mount Pleasant | |
| Clarence Jacob | PNM | Canaan/Bon Accord | |
| Faith Yisrael | PDP | Goodwood/Belle Garden West | |
| Jomo Pitt | PNM | Lambeau/Signal Hill | |
| Farley Augustine | PDP | Parlatuvier/ L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside | |
| Zorisha Hackette | PDP | Plymouth/Golden Lane | |
| Ian Pollard | PDP | Providence/ Mason Hall/Moriah | |
| Marslyn Melville-Jack | PNM | Scarborough/ Calder Hall | |
Party Divisions by Assembly
| Assembly | Election | PNM | PDP | Independent | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | 25 January 2021 | 6 | 6 | 12 | |
| 10th | 23 January 2017 | 10 | 2 | 12 | |
| Election | PNM | TOP | Independent | Total seats | |
| 9th | 21 January 2013 | 12 | 0 | 12 | |
| 8th | 19 January 2009 | 8 | 4 | 12 | |
| Election | PNM | DAC | Independent | Total seats | |
| 7th | 17 January 2005 | 11 | 1 | 12 | |
| Election | PNM | NAR | Independent | Total seats | |
| 6th | 29 January 2001 | 8 | 4 | 12 | |
| 5th | 19 December 1996 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 12 |
| 4th | 7 December 1992 | 1 | 11 | 12 | |
| 3rd | 29 November 1988 | 1 | 11 | 12 | |
| Election | PNM | DAC | Independent | Total seats | |
| 2nd | 26 November 1984 | 1 | 11 | 12 | |
| 1st | 24 November 1980 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | DAC | Independent | Total seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1980 | A. N. R. Robinson (1926-2014) | .jpg')) | DAC wins control of the House of Assembly under A. N. R. Robinson, forming the first Tobagonian government. | 4 | 8 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | DAC | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 2nd | 1984 | A. N. R. Robinson (1926-2014) | | DAC forms another government under A. N. R. Robinson. The DAC merges with other political parties to form the NAR. | 1 | 11 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | NAR | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 3rd | 1988 | Jefferson Davidson (c. 1938-) | ) | NAR forms another government under Jefferson Davidson. | 1 | 11 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | NAR | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 4th | 1992 | Lennox Denoon (1930–2007) | | NAR forms another government under Lennox Denoon. | 1 | 11 | 148 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | NAR | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 5th | 1996 | Hochoy Charles (–) | | NAR forms another government under Hochoy Charles. | 1 | 10 | 1 | 12 |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | NAR | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 6th | 2001 | Orville London (1945– ) | | PNM forms its first government under Orville London. | 8 | 4 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | DAC | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 7th | 2005 | Orville London (1945– ) | | PNM forms another government under Orville London. | 11 | 1 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | TOP | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 8th | 2009 | Orville London (1945– ) | | PNM forms another government under Orville London. | 8 | 4 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | TOP | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 9th | 2013 | Orville London (1945– ) | | PNM forms another government under Orville London. | 12 | 0 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | PDP | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 10th | 2017 | Kelvin Charles (1957– ) Ancil Dennis (1987– ) |
| PNM forms another government under Kelvin Charles. | 10 | 2 | 12 | |
| Election Year | Chief Secretary | Summary | PNM | PDP | Independent | Total seats | ||
| 11th | 2021 | 6 | 6 | 12 | ||||
See also
- Chief Secretary of Tobago
- List of Presiding Officers of the Tobago House of Assembly
- Local government in Trinidad and Tobago
- Politics of Trinidad and Tobago
References
- ^ Tobago Division Of Tourism - About Tobago, Governance Archived 2007-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dupont, Jerry (2001). "Trinidad and Tobago". The common law abroad: constitutional and legal legacy of the British empire. William S. Hein Publishing. pp. 295–303. ISBN 0-8377-3125-9. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- ^ About the Assembly (THA), Tobago House of Assembly
- ^ Staff (22 January 2009). "TOP gains ground, but unhappy with illegal advertising". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
- ^ Staff (21 January 2013). "CLEAN SWEEP". Trinidad and Tobago Express. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ Staff (24 January 2013). "Orville wants 2 neutral voices". Trinidad and Tobago Express. Retrieved 24 January 2013.