Political Scientist Dr Maukesh Basdeo says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s proposal to guarantee Tobago at least two seats in the Senate would require broad Parliamentary support.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the proposal during Tuesday’s commissioning of the new East Terminal at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago.
Speaking on Trinidad and Tobago Today morning show, Dr Basdeo noted that approval from the Opposition and Independent Senators would be critical to securing the special majorities needed to enact the changes.
“A three-fourths majority in the votes in the House of Representatives will be required to ensure that this proposal carries through. So it will mean that it will need the support of both the Government and the Opposition bench in the House of Representatives to support that. In the Senate, the Special Majority requirement is two-thirds. So this would mean that the Opposition Senators and the Independent bench would be required to support this particular Constitutional proposal.”
Dr Basdeo explained that the proposed change could require changes to the current Senate structure.
“That power that forms the basis of the nine Senators that comprise the Independent bench – that is where the Prime Minister is proposing the Constitutional change should actually occur whereby Tobago would be guaranteed that two of the Senatorial appointments that the President would make would come from the THA or would come from persons representing the interests in Tobago.”
He also pointed out that Tobago has enjoyed guaranteed representation in the House of Representatives since 1962 and said extending similar constitutional protection to the Senate would strengthen the island’s voice in Parliament.
“The decision to allocate two of those so-called Independent Senators appointments and designate it primarily to come from Tobago is seen as a significant step on the part of this administration to sort of resolve, as some would say, an anomaly that has been in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago and primarily how the legislature, the Upper House, is structured since 1962.”