The MP for Chaguanas West, Dinesh Rambally, has described as “offensive” and “reprehensible” statements by the Chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Tobago Self Autonomy, describing him as deceitful and obstructionist.
In a release, Rambally is claiming to be framed as someone who is deceitful and obstructionist by Planning Minister Camille Robinson Regis who he says is pouring scorn on him.
Rambally said Robinson-Regis was misleading the public into thinking that proper consultations were conducted concerning the two Tobago Bills which are before Parliament.
He stated, โTo suggest that amending some clauses in a Bill is the same as having consultations is rank disingenuity. I consider it offensive and reprehensible that I am being framed by the Chairman as someone who isโฆ obstructionist and who came with an agenda to delay.
โI categorically reject all such insinuations and insults as I find the remarks of the Chairman to be rather dishonest and fatuous and reeks of a certain desperation to save face and create the illusion that they cared enough to hear Tobago out on this matter.โ
In the release he said:
๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ. ๐
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ โ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌโ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ง๐จ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ.
On the 29th May, 2021 I issued a second letter to the JSC in which I again lobbied for wider consultations:
๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ, ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ.
๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌ. ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ค, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ค๐๐ง?
It is deceitful of Ms. Camille Robinson Regis to say that I did not acknowledge the records of the consultations when I was expressly complaining of its paucity.
Further, The Chairman has accused me of โโฆ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐”. This statement is calculated to pour scorn on me. If it were indeed so, neither the Chairman, nor anyone else for that matter, had ever raised this issue with me over the 22 meetings. Raising such a belated concern in the public domain demonstrates a shortcoming of leadership. The fact is the only โdelayโ that I was ever interested in is one that was requested by me – a โdelayโ in the JSCโs deadline for laying its report in order to facilitate more widespread consultations, as stated in my letter to the JSC:
๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ. ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ.
It is paradoxical that the Chairman Camille Robinson Regis had been sincerely (as per the exact word used by me) urged to keep the consultations open for some time longer so this JSC would get it right, a request which she refused to facilitate, yet she accuses me of deception.
Truth be told, it was deceitful for the Chairman Camille Robinson Regis to say that โโฆ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐โ, when virtually all major political voices emanating from Tobago have expressed their disappointment at the namesake consultations which failed to capture their views. That is on the public record. It is of no effect that the JSC had a handy report to present to the Parliament according to its deadline but had a blatant disregard for the true wishes of Tobagonians and Trinidadians alike.
On what basis did the Chairman Camille Robinson Regis indicate so confidently that โโฆ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ (๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ)โ ? It is perilous to make such comments without a proper basis for doing so.
The JSC Chairman Camille Robinson Regis and the PNM are no doubt feeling ashamed that they are hanging on to power in Tobago by a thinning thread. That is the scent of failure. They refuse to be woken up from their indolence, incompetence, petulance and arrogance. When confronted with their own ineptitude, insincerity and inadequacy, they throw a fit and take refuge in their feel-good modus operandi โ blame the UNC, blame KAMLA, and now blame Rambally.
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