Budget debate turns into duel…
By Kyle Jeremiah
October 1, 2008 – guardian.co.tt
The 2008-2009 budget debate took a dramatic turn last night in Parliament, after a war of words erupted between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Diego Martin-West MP Dr Keith Rowley whom Manning dismissed in April.
Continue reading Manning trains guns on Rowley
By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
June 19, 2008
trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
Keith Rowley insists he wishes to clear his name so that his children would know he is an honorable man. The only problem with such a pursuit is this: what happens after he has cleared his name? While his desire is admirable such nobility matters little in politics. I know of no political movement in history that rallied around a party member’s desire to clear his name from infamy. Party members usually rally around causes that crescendo into movements that challenge the foundations of injustice.
Continue reading The Politics of Personal Grievance
By Lara Pickford-Gordon
Monday, June 9 2008
newsday.co.tt
“I will take on from the PM to the cook. I don’t care what office you hold in this country. I don’t care what office you hold in this party. If you challenge my reputation then the war is on,” Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West Dr Keith Rowley announced yesterday as he addressed supporters in his Diego Martin Constituency 4th annual conference at the Pt Cumana Regional Com-plex, Carenage.
Continue reading It’s war now
By Sean Douglas
Saturday, May 24 2008
newsday.co.tt
PRIME Minister Patrick Manning yesterday agreed to set up a commission on inquiry into the controversial Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) and the practices of the construction industry, in place of the joint select committee (JSC) he had previously proposed.
Continue reading Commission of inquiry to probe Udecott
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, May 18th 2008
I have spoken with Calder Hart only once, when he belatedly responded to a call I had made to UDeCOTT seeking to talk with him on a story I was working on. It turned out that he had been out of the country when I had tried to reach him. He was very polite, even effusive, promising to talk with me anytime, on any matter concerning UDeCOTT. He came across as a journalist’s delight: most people in his position normally refer lowly plebs of the Fourth Estate to some PR “spin doctors”, who, in turn, ask for questions to be formally e-mailed to them, and then take forever to give half-answers.
Continue reading Nothing to hide, nothing to fear
By Dr. Selwyn R Cudjoe
May 15, 2008
Five months ago, the PNM was elected to serve as the Government of the people of T&T although it received 43 per cent of the votes.
On that November night, after hearing the results of the elections I, among others, streamed down to Balisier House to celebrate yet another victory. We were elated that our party had captured government for another five years.
Continue reading Keeping PNM Honest
Perfect performer
By Sean Douglas
Thursday, May 15 2008
The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) is above board, executive chairman Calder Hart said yesterday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain, in a keenly-awaited media conference which drew the focus away from Hart and leant towards the technical details of Udecott’s operations.
Hart led four Udecott directors and six managers to face reporters the day after Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s nod in the Senate for Udecott to be probed by a parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) — but not by a commission of inquiry — after charges of insufficient oversight made by fired Trade Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Continue reading UDeCOTT’s Calder Hart Responds
T&T’s Newsday Editoral
Friday, May 2 2008
In giving his reasons for firing Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley as Trade and Industry Minister, Prime Minister Patrick Manning offered one piece of hard evidence: a design plan for the Performing Arts Centre which included a 60-room hotel. But it now seems that this evidence cannot stand.
Continue reading Mystery Hotel
By Raffique Shah
April 27, 2008
If former Trade Minister Dr Keith Rowley is a hooligan who displays ‘wajang’ behaviour, when did these abominable character traits first manifest themselves? Prime Minister Patrick Manning, explaining why he summarily fired the senior minister, told the media that for all of five minutes during a Cabinet committee meeting, Rowley ranted and raved and misbehaved, much to the shock of his colleagues. Pressed by journalists on Rowley’s darker side, Manning said: “It was not the first time. I’ve had to talk with him before.”
Continue reading Manning Shoots a Rowdy Messenger
At yesterday’s post-cabinet news conference, Prime Minister Patrick Manning appeared alone to explain why he fired Rowley. Manning said that he fired Dr. Keith Rowley because of unacceptable ‘hooligan behaviour’ at a meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee of cabinet, and not because of his corruption allegation.
Rowley stated that he was fired because he raised concerns about a lack of cabinet supervision over UDeCOTT’s mega billion dollar projects.
Continue reading Manning: Why I Fired Rowley