By Raffique Shah
February 28, 2015
A political volcano has erupted with full force, spewing rocks, ash, lava and fetid gases across Trinidad and Tobago’s landscape. But even as the explosion demolishes structures and changes the electoral topography, the political seismologists and volcanologists, seemingly in stupor, pretend that all is well.
Continue reading Political volcano erupts
By Marion O’Callaghan
March 02, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
I WONDER how many people noticed that Ernie Ross, of perhaps one of the most important advertising firms in the country, was reported present at that meeting with Gary Griffith which, in retrospect, was an important factor in the collapse of the Prime Minister’s then Cabinet and the collapse of COP as we knew it? This is not surprising: we are after all not very far from a general election.
Continue reading The spin doctors
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
February 10, 2015
The Trinidad Guardian, it seems, is worried about the PNM’s future, our democracy and the quality of postcolonial democracy in societies such as ours all because the PNM rejected the candidacy of Penny Beckles, a good friend, and the possibility that Patrick Manning will suffer a similar fate.
Continue reading The Politics of Spite
By Raffique Shah
February 08, 2015
I sense that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has cast her political fate to the wind, doing what she thinks she needs to with mere months to go before a general election. I suspect, too, that she no longer heeds her advisers, that she acts of her own accord, and will continue to do so for as long as she remains captain of the badly listing pirogue, the SS UNC-2.
Continue reading The political executioner strikes…again
Griffith threatens to walk
By Renuka Singh
February 02, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
National Security Minister Gary Griffith is threatening to quit in the face of scathing press release issued by Communication Minister Vasant Bharath yesterday accused him of making false claims and compromising the integrity of Cabinet. Bharath was referring to reports that Griffith claimed he was pressured by his Cabinet colleagues not support a criminal complaint by Police Complaints Authority Director David West.
Continue reading Griffith threatens to walk – AG to resign
Martin Daly’s statement:
“Should the Attorney General cease to hold office in light of the so-called witness-tampering allegations?
I have received a significant number of requests to give my answer to the question at caption. I have no doubt that the answer is yes, despite the fact that the matter is only at the investigation stage and despite the presumption of innocence.
Continue reading Should AG Ramlogan cease to hold office? Daly, Yes
‘A CONSPIRACY’
By Andre Bagoo
January 30, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
ACTING Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams yesterday announced that he had ordered a police probe into an allegation of an attempt to pervert the course of justice made against Attorney General Anand Ramlogan by Director of the Police Complaints Authority David West.
In a media release, the police public affairs unit stated, “The Commissioner of Police (Ag), Mr Stephen Williams, wishes to advise that today, Thursday 29th January, 2015, he was visited by Mr David West at Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, and presented with a signed statement, in which Mr West made an allegation of ‘an attempt to pervert the course of justice’, against Senator the Honourable, Anand Ramlogan, Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Continue reading ANAND UNDER POLICE PROBE
By the Multimedia Desk
January 29, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
DIRECTOR of the Police Complaints Authority David West on Thursday issued a statement related to the rapidly unfolding events involving the allegations that he was asked by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation lawsuit related to the failed extradition involving Section 34 applicants Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh, in exchange for him getting the job at the PCA. West has disclosed that as a result of claims made in the media and responses given by Ramlogan, he (West) had reported the matter to the police.
Continue reading David West has reported the AG to the cops
By Jamille Broome
January 25 2015 – newsday.co.tt
For years, political parties have promulgated change on their campaign platforms. Looking back, they’ve all purported to know what and how to change the problems within our once peaceful and thriving society, but at the end of the day, we’re always left with nothing more than exchange. Every election, our parties mount platforms to engage in negative campaigning in order to convince the populace why NOT to vote for the opposing side(s), rather than emphasising their own positive attributes or preferred policies. Of course, this is effective in Trinidad and Tobago because we are a society of bacchanal. Remind us of how much money was stolen and how ineffective the last crime strategy was and you will definitely be the next party in power.
Continue reading Political innovation instead of political (ex)change
By Raffique Shah
January 18, 2015
Raoul Pantin and I never worked together as journalists in the 40-odd years that I knew him. Yet, in some curious ways, our lives and paths intertwined and intersected, particularly during the major political convulsions in the nation’s history.
As products of the same generation, we forged a friendship that allowed us to share experiences of different eras (witness his “Afro” hairstyle in the 1970s and my rebellious profile) even as we at times disagreed on issues. When, last Wednesday, I heard he had passed on, I realised that a phone call I had planned to make early in the New Year would now never happen—a cruel reminder that we had both reached “that age” when one must do what one plans since there may be no tomorrow.
Continue reading Talk Raoul, talk history