Archive for the 'UNC' Category

Roodal riding Anand’s misfortunes

Published on September 7, 2017 in Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, PNM and UNC. 18 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
September 07, 2017

Raffique ShahNo one has challenged Opposition Member of Parliament Roodal Moonilal’s assertion that the arrest and indictment of former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan last week was a “distraction by the PNM”. Moonilal is reported to have said: “…This is the modus operandi of the PNM, whether it is Basdeo Panday, Vijay Naraynsingh, Sat Sharma…to harass, to intimidate, to oppress and suppress independent voices against the PNM and their government…”
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ex-AG Anand Ramlogan charged with two offences

Published on August 30, 2017 in Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media and UNC. 29 Comments Tags: , , , .

Sep 01, 2017: Anand’s cases adjourned to next year

Anand goes to court Friday, charged with two offences
Former Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, was today charged with misbehaviour in public office and obstruction of justice arising from allegations contained in a report made by David West to the Commissioner of Police, on January 28th, 2015.

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After 12-hour interrogation of ex-AG Ramlogan: Cops go to DPP today

By Gail Alexander
August 30, 2017 – guardian.co.tt

Anand RamloganFormer attorney general Anand Ramlogan was under arrest last night awaiting a decision on his fate this morning.

After 12 hours of questioning following his dawn arrest by police yesterday, Ramlogan remained in custody at Police Headquarters, Port-of-Spain. This in connection with the witness-tampering allegations made against him in 2015 by Police Complaints Authority chairman David West —a probe of which now appears to have reached a head.
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Burden of corruption

Published on August 30, 2017 in corruption, General T&T, PNM and UNC. 12 Comments Tags: , , , .

Br Raffique Shah
August 29, 2017

Raffique ShahIt’s not that we have achieved nothing in 55 years as an independent nation. It’s more that successive governments that have held power during that time have squandered bountiful resources and wasted opportunities that, in the span of half-a-century, could have transformed Trinidad and Tobago into the paradise it had the potential to be. That we are today on the brink of becoming a failed state rather than being a beacon of success is an indictment against every prime minister who held office.
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Forgetting and Remembering

Published on August 28, 2017 in General T&T, PNM, Politics and UNC. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 28, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn August 31, Trinidad and Tobago will celebrate fifty-five years of independence. As per usual, there will be an inspection of the members of the armed forces, perhaps a fireworks display (I really enjoyed this as a boy); and many people will troop off to the beaches.

We will also witness the passing of venerable tradition: the conferral of national honors on deserving citizens on Independence Day. Our President has decided he could get more bang for the buck by honoring deserving citizens on Republic Day. Dr. Robert Williams argues: “Handing out national awards on Republic Day is truly symbolic and more meaningful in building and strengthening nationhood” (Trinidad Guardian, August 23).
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Remembering Malcolm Jones

Published on August 11, 2017 in General T&T, Oil and Gas, PNM, Politics and UNC. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
August 10, 2017

Raffique Shah“I’ll share with you a personal secret…I. Don’t. Like. Pone!” said Malcolm Jones, emphasising every word he uttered. I couldn’t believe what he revealed: a Trinidadian who did not like pone, that cassava sweetbread whose taste and texture are sinfully irresistible to natives of this country? We eat pone by the slabs, not slices. “Malcolm,” I responded, “what kind of Trini are you?”
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The Four Ks of Our Destruction

Published on July 24, 2017 in Crime in T&T, General T&T, PNM and UNC. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 24, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeFor the past seven years the two Ks (Kamla and Keith) have ruled the land. On Tuesday they introduced two other “Ks” to the unsavory mix: Kamauflage, another kamikaze-like maneuver designed to hoodwink our people. Basdeo Panday, characterizes their approach as “playing smart with chupidness.” One could also use the French aphorism to describe their carryings-on: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose: the more things change, the more they remain the same.
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A bend in the river

Published on July 3, 2017 in Flooding, General T&T, PNM, Politics and UNC. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Raffique Shah
July 02, 2017

Raffique ShahIn 1950, when I was four years old, my father moved the family from a sugar company cottage in Brechin Castle (now Rivulet Road) to a rented house near the Croisee in Freeport. The house, two bedrooms sitting on stilts about five feet high (I’m writing from childhood memory), was located off a sharp bend in the Freeport River, the main watercourse in what I call Greater Freeport. In fact, its eastern boundary was the meandering river, and because the land was lower than the road, level with the river-bank, whenever it rained heavily for more than a day, which occurred several times every rainy season, our yard was flooded, the swirling waters ranging from a few inches to maybe three feet.
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State Capture: Syrian/Lebanese Style

Published on July 2, 2017 in General T&T, Lebanon, PNM, Politics, Syria and UNC. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 02, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLast Sunday Anthony Bourdain presented a well-researched, balanced, and superbly crafted depiction of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) in his program “Parts Unknown.” All the interviewees portrayed T&T as a sophisticated, talented, diverse and intelligent community. Then, without much prompting, Mario Sabga Aboud, reminded Trinbagonians about a truth they know but rarely discuss publicly: The Syrian/Lebanese, a community of approximately 5,000 people, is the most powerful ethnic group in the country.
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Don’t nail judge to race-cross

Published on June 22, 2017 in General T&T, PNM, Politics, Property Tax and UNC. 30 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
May 30, 2017

Raffique ShahFor some time now I have sounded warnings to our tribal leaders, more specifically those in the frontline of the United National Congress, that they are playing with fire by fanning the embers of racial strife that could easily ignite. While we have enjoyed relative harmony in a world wracked by ethnic and religious strife, the absence of war between the two main tribes in this country does not necessarily mean peace.
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United House passes Marriage bill

Published on June 10, 2017 in General T&T, Islam, PNM, Politics, Religion and UNC. 15 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Sean Douglas
June 10, 2017 – newsday.co.tt

End Child MarriageTHE Opposition last night ditched their previous qualms and hang-ups to join with Government in the House of Representatives to change the law and end child marriage in this country. By 35 votes “for”, none against and zero abstentions, the House unanimously approved the Miscellaneous Provisions (Marriage) Bill 2016.
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