Jack talks about his future as leader of TOP Tuesday

TOP leader Ashworth Jack. Time to take his exit?

Ashworth Jack has promised a media conference on Tuesday and there is speculation that the former minority leader of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and political leader of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) will step down and had over the leadership to another member of the party, pending internal elections. 

TOP was politically humiliated in the January 21 THA election when the People's National Movement (PNM) won all 12 seats. TO held four seats in the previous assembly.

The Guardian newspaper reported Tuesday that there is mixed feeling within the party about Jack's next move. "We are split on the matter. There are some of us who feel Mr Jack should step aside and let someone else lead because he already has admitted the loss was his fault.

“With that said it’s not that he is a bad leader but he should take some time out and build his professional profile and come back with a fighting force a couple years from now,” the paper quoted an unnamed source as saying.

The paper said there are some strong views that the election result was a rejection of Jack, not TOP, and that he must listen to the message the people sent.

"The TOP is not dead and Mr Jack would bounce back. He should not give up," one source said.

TOP has the Tobago seats in the national Parliament and there is a strong view that one of the MPs should lead the party to maintain its electoral strength. There is speculation that Tobago Development Minister Delmond Baker would be asked to lead the party for now since he is best equipped to represent Tobago both in the island and in cabinet.

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