Category Archives: General T&T

Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, International, Law, Politics

The ‘Forum Conveniens’

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By Dana Seetahal
July 18, 2010 – guardian.co.tt

Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve FergusonIn an Advice apparently solicited by attorneys for Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh, former president Ellis Clarke, an eminent attorney-at-law, proferred the opinion that the case for T&T being the “forum conveniens” to try the accused men is lucid and “compelling.” This is not the first time that it has been argued in respect of an extradition matter that local trial for people accused of similar offences in both the US and T&T should be preferred. The point was taken in extradition proceedings in relation to some of the men locally accused of killing Balram Maharaj, a US citizen, and in respect of whom the US had sought extradition for offences involving hostage taking. The accused were eventually extradited.
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Culture, Finance, General T&T, Politics

Poverty Facts and Fiction

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By Raffique Shah
July 18, 2010

PovertyEVERY time I hear someone parrot poverty numbers in my Trinidad and Tobago, I wince. Politicians, and many ordinary citizens, often accept as the “gospel truth” the amount of people in this country said to be living “below the absolute poverty line”, defined as US$1 a day. The estimated numbers range from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the population, which suggests there are between 130,000 and 260,000 desperately poor people in our midst living on less than TT$6.37 a day. That’s around $190 a month.
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Features, General T&T, Media, People's Partnership, Photos

Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre

Media Tour of the Prime Minister's Residence and Diplomatic Centre
Media Tour of the Prime Minister's Residence
On Thursday July 01st 2010, the media toured the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre at La Fantasie Road, St Ann’s. The tour was led by Government’s press secretary Garvin Nicholas and head of the Prime Minister’s household Armando D’Souza.
Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre in pictures

Inside the Prime Minister’s residence

By Lara Pickford-Gordon
July 12, 2010

On July 1, I had the opportunity to visit the Prime Minister’s residence and Diplomatic Centre along with my media colleagues.
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Business, Drug Trade, Finance, General T&T, International, Media, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Security

Bring OPV Report

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Scarborough CG 51 vessel at BAE Systems' shipyard on the Clyde River in Glasgow, Scotland
Scarborough CG 51 vessel at BAE Systems' shipyard
on the Clyde River in Glasgow, Scotland
Newsday Editorial
July 16, 2010 – newsday.co.tt

WE eagerly await the report recently promised by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on the former regime’s purchase of three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) that are said to cost $1.5 billion, which would work out at $500 million each.
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Crime in T&T, Death Penalty, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Religion, Violence

The Law of Just Revenge

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 15, 2010

HangingAnand Ralogan is one of the leading lawyers of public law in T&T. There is no doubt that the prime minister selected him to be her attorney general because of his familiarity with the courts and how government agencies function. The attention he has paid to breaches in citizens’ rights and his advocacy for those against whom the state has discriminated have been admirable. All things considered, he is a good choice for the office.
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Finance, General T&T, Media, Passed on

Tribute to Professor Dennis Pantin

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By Norman Girvan
July 14, 2010

Professor Dennis PantinIt is with great sadness, and a sense of tremendous loss, that the Caribbean economics fraternity has learnt of the passing of Professor Dennis Pantin, former chair of the Economics Department and Coordinator of the Sustainable Economic Development Unit at the UWI, St Augustine.
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Business, Finance, General T&T, International, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC, USA

PM Persad-Bissessar’s Address at Luncheon in Miami

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Feature address delivered by the Hon. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a Business Luncheon in Fort Lauderdale, Miami – Monday, July 12, 2010.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarGood Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen. It is indeed a pleasure to address you today, and I extend my sincere thanks to you all for granting me the opportunity to showcase the dynamic twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, during my short stopover in Miami. As some of you may be aware, my visit to Miami follows in the wake of attending the 31st Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit which was held in Montego Bay, Jamaica last week.
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Complaints, General T&T, International, Letters, Security, USA

Mysterious Detention of 17-Year-Old in the U.S.

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AbuseTHE EDITOR: I wish to bring to your attention the detention of my 17-year-old daughter in the United States of America. She boarded a Continental flight at Piarco International airport on the night of Monday 5th July, 2010, at 9 p.m. to catch a connecting flight from New Jersey to Maryland. Upon arriving at the Immigration Transportation Hub at Newark International she was detained and remains so at present.
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General T&T, Letters, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics

Herculean Task for PNM

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PNMDr. Selwyn Ryan,

I always perceived you to be a relatively intelligent man, although I may not always agree with everything you write. I could not, however, help but comment on your commentary/editorial in the Sunday Express dated July 11, 2010, and entitled: “Is the PNM really back?”

While asking a seemingly elemental question, your commentary seemed to give the impression that you were somewhat impressed with the large number of PNM attendees at the Convention and the vibrancy of the crowd, despite the inclement weather and the comprehensive blows recently received by that party in the national election.
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General T&T, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM

The Politics of Promises

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Politicians in Parliament
Politicians in Parliament (composite photograph)
By Derren Joseph
July 12 2010

In the aftermath of the June 22 arrest of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the alleged drug lord and leader of a Jamaican gang called the Shower Posse, there has been much debate on the role of politics. There is a particularly interesting analysis done by a Horace Campbell on the Pambazuka News website [Gangsters, politicians, cocaine and bankers] which speaks to the alleged connections between organised crime and political parties/governments. The author speculates that the situation in Jamaica is by no means unique, in fact–”From the streets of West Kingston to the hills of Port of Spain, Trinidad to Guyana and down to Brazil, gunmen (called warlords) allied and integrated into the international banking system had taken over communities and acted as do-gooders when the neo-liberal forces downgraded local government services.” If you have the time, I suggest you Google it and have a look as it makes for interesting reading.
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