By Sue-Ann Wayow
AS the date draws nearer to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, contestants are dishing out promises and plans in an attempt to woo voters on December 6.
On Sunday, Political Leader of the Tobago People’s National Movement Council Tracy Davidson-Celestine revealed plans for a $60 million revitalisation project for the Scarborough waterfront.
The candidate for Signal Hill/Patience Hill spoke about the “green” project to residents of the Bethel/ New Grange community.
A 2,000-foot long boardwalk, marketplace, food court, restaurants, bars, cafes, and entertainment and retail shopping spaces, are all included in the plan which is carded to kick off in January 2022.
It is the first phase of the restructuring of the island’s capital and has been three years in the making. The Inter-American Development Bank is partially funding the project.
Davidson-Celestine in listing other projects said Tobago’s capital of Scarborough will have a new and improved image.
Referring to the waterfront, she said, “This project comes on the heels of the development of the ANR Robinson airport. This project comes on the heels of 300 rooms that will come to this island through an international brand called the Marriott. This project comes on the heels of us wanting to ensure that Tobago is a livable place, that Tobago has the most robust and modernised systems and infrastructure, that could take us to a new level.”
“We are pushing ahead. We are changing the look and feel of Scarborough, but in a way that captures the essence of what we have been selling, which is ‘Live the Culture Tobago Style’, and ‘Clean, Green, Safe and Serene,” she added.
Auditing THA accounts
Deputy Political Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots PDP, Farley Augustine in a recent live video said launching an audit into all of THA’s accounts will be the first order of business should the party win the election.
Augustine said, “We have always had an adverse opinion from the auditor general over the last 21 years and if we have to move forward in a way that allows for transparency and accountability, we have to actually spend some time looking at where we have gone wrong and find the mistakes.”
“We are going to do the audit so that we can be better stewards of the money,” he added and the reason was not to prosecute anybody.
From five political parties, 45 candidates will contest the THA elections, the Elections and Boundaries Commission EBC has stated.
The PNM and the PDP have fielded candidates in all 15 electoral districts. The Innovative Democratic Alliance IDA will contest 13 of the 15 electoral districts, with no candidates vying for the electoral districts of Belle Garden/Glamorgan and Roxborough/Argyle.
The Class Action Reform Movement and Unity of the People political parties have each fielded one candidate in the electoral district of Buccoo/Mt Pleasant, which is the only electoral district being contested by five candidates.
There are no independent candidates contesting the elections.
