Category Archives: Opposition Party

General T&T, Integrity Commission, Media, Opposition Party, PNM, UNC

Sturge wants AG probed over HDC loan to Garcia

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By Rachael Espinet
January 15, 2016 – guardian.co.tt

Opposition Senator Wayne SturgeOpposition Senator Wayne Sturge wants the Integrity Commission to investigate the behaviour of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi for his alleged involvement in what Sturge deems a questionable loan agreement between HDC and Noel Garcia.

Sturge claims Garcia, who was managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and is currently the chairman of Udecott, was granted a loan from the HDC.
Continue reading Sturge wants AG probed over HDC loan to Garcia →

Crime in T&T, Finance, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

Why Jwala had to go

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By Anthony Wilson
December 26, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Jwala RambarranAt its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Cabinet took a decision to request the President to terminate the appointment of former Central Bank Governor, Jwala Rambarran, in accordance with sections 12(e) and 12(g) of the Central Bank Act, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said in a statement on Thursday.
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Finance, General T&T, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics, Recession, UNC

The Pathology of the Firing of Jwala

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By Stephen Kangal
December 25, 2015

Stephen KangalThe pathological obsession of the PNM with pre-maturely removing Jwala as Governor of the CBTT has caused them to act in a most irresponsible, reckless, arbitrary and vulgar manner at this the season of goodwill and peace on the earth of Trinbago. T&T is plunged into an air of sadness and deep cataclysmic foreboding. A lamb has been led into the slaughter again even when birth is being celebrated universally.
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Elections, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, Politics, UNC

UNC wracked by internal strife

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By Renuka Singh
November 28, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

United National CongressFresh internal conflict is threatening to break the United National Congress (UNC) apart in the build up to internal elections. With just days to go before the party elects its leader, the mostly clean campaign has suddenly turned nasty as one would-be deputy leader was threatened for taking sides against incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
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COP, Culture, Elections, General T&T, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

The last ‘pahalwan’

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By Raffique Shah
November 23, 2015

Raffique ShahThe battle for leadership of the UNC has ignited a discussion on leadership in a broader context, with the party’s founder, Basdeo Panday, weighing in on the issue.

According to my columnist colleague Sheila Rampersad, Panday told her that Indians tend to seek a “pahalwan”-Hindi for warrior, strongman-to lead them. Sheila cited Panday himself as an example of the phenomenon. In 1973, he succeeded Bhadase Maharaj as leader of the sugar workers’ union, and in 1977 he succeeded in transforming the only organic inter-racial party ever (my view…I was a co-founder), the ULF, into an Indian party.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, UNC

Workers caught back-dating deals

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New EFCL board unearths secret operation

By Darren Bahaw and Renuka Singh
November 14, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

CorruptionA secret contract millhouse was discovered at the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) in Maraval, and armed guards have been called in to secure a mountain of potentially damning evidence which points to the illegal manufacturing of backdated tender documents worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The discovery was made one day after the new board of the state-owned company suspended its Chief Executive Officer Kiran Shah and Chief Operating Officer Sharma Maharaj over claims of impropriety.
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China, corruption, Finance, General T&T, Health, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Scale of squandermania mind-boggling

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By Raffique Shah
October 19, 2015

Raffique ShahIf a mere ten percent of the sums of money quoted by almost every new PNM minister as having gone to waste or astray under the previous government is factual, then at least a billion dollars was squandered or stolen during the tenure of the People’s Partnership.

If the ministers were accurate and truthful in their allegations of profligacy, then an astounding ten billion dollars, at least, found its way into the bank accounts of assorted thieves and accomplices.
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corruption, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

WASA now saddled with $1.6b deficit

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Guardian
October 14, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

WASAPublic Utilities Minister Ancil Antoine says the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is “burdened with massive debt and (is) financially strapped for funds.”

He said the state-owned utility company was currently operating with deficit is $1.6 billion and its receivables were $33.9 million.
Continue reading WASA now saddled with $1.6b deficit →

General T&T, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Up today, down tomorrow

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By Raffique Shah
October 12, 2015

Raffique ShahI switched on my television last Friday just in time to see and hear a stern-looking House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George say to former minister and current MP for Caroni Central Bhoe Tewarie, “You have three seconds to wrap up…starting now!”

I did a double-take, wondering if I hadn’t mistakenly tuned in to the Western channel rather than Parliament, some wild-west movie in which the “fastest” gunman in town gives an impossible ultimatum to his adversary.
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Elections, General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics, UNC

GISL, CNMG—‘A big waste’ of $$

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By Gail Alexander
October 11, 2015guardian.co.tt

Minister of Communications, Maxie CuffieA Government Information Services Ltd (GISL) CEO was also hired as a consultant for a state company which bought him an SUV vehicle, and a CNMG freelancer was collecting “four salaries” under the past People’s Partnership (PP) administration, Communication Minister Maxie Cuffie revealed yesterday.
Continue reading GISL, CNMG—‘A big waste’ of $$ →