Political Scientist Backs Tobago’s Senate Voice

Political scientist, Professor Hamid Ghany says the Prime Minister’s proposal to guarantee Tobago two seats in the Senate, would mark another shift in the country’s constitutional arrangements, with amendments needed to secure the island’s representation.

Political scientist, Professor Hamid Ghany says Government’s move to guarantee Tobago two seats in the Senate, would require constitutional amendments and represents a further evolution of the country’s system of Senate appointments.

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“It will represent a further evolution of the independent bench in our history, moving from the Prime Minister determining independent senators between 1962 and 76 to the President determining Independent Senators since 1976, to the President now determining seven of the nine in Presidential discretion and two others with an input from Tobago. So that that that that’s how that would look. So it’s it’s it’s an evolutionary process.”