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

Buying cat in bag

25 Comments

By Raffique Shah
March 22, 2015

Raffique ShahIt’s amazing how the 2015 general elections campaign is derailed by extraneous matters that have no bearing on the real issues that should under discussion.

With oil and gas prices trending lower, hence a projected shortfall in revenue of more than $7 billion for the current fiscal year, with the national debt rising as a consequence, and with tens of thousands of public sector workers, among them police, fire and prisons officers, clamouring for increased salaries for a period that has expired, the politicians are distracting the electorate with race-herrings and talk about dog and “cyat”.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Race versus Ethnicity in T&T

20 Comments

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
March 19, 2015

Dr. Kwame NantambuThe recent firing of Board Member of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) Jaishima Leladharsingh by the Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dt. Bhoe Tewarie speaks volumes as to the overt misunderstanding, albeit confusion, between race and ethnicity in Trinidad and Tobago.

At the outset, it must be stated quite categorically and equivocally that the public remarks by Mr. Leladharsingh via Facebook were not racist; instead, they were downright “chupid”, unacceptable, foolish, insane, insulting, irresponsible and ignorant to the nth degree.
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General T&T

Pioneering Inclusive and Regionally Balanced Development in T&T

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By Stephen Kangal
Posted: March 19, 2015

Stephen KangalStatement Delivered by Mr Stephen Kangal at the Formal Commissioning of the Modernised and Dualed Southern Main Road at Frederick Settlement, Caroni on Wednesday 18 March 2015 @ 2:30 p.m.

Mr. Chairman, Honourable Prime Minister Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Dr the Honourable Surujrattan Rambachan, Senator the Honourable Ganga Singh, Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, The Honourable Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, The Honourable Stephen Cadiz, The Honourable Rudranath Indarsingh and other Members of The Cabinet of T&T. Ladies and Gentlemen
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General T&T, International, USA, Venezuela

Reject US sanctions

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Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro during his recent visit to T&T
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro during his recent visit to T&T

By Sasha Harrinanan
March 16, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

The citizens and Government of Trinidad and Tobago are being urged to reject the recently announced United States sanctions against Venezuelan government officials accused of violating protestors’ rights during demonstrations earlier this year.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Politics

Buying and selling government

20 Comments

By Raffique Shah
March 08, 2015

Raffique ShahThe bell has rung, the gates are open and the campaign for general elections 2015 is underway. Over the next six months, political parties that matter and those that don’t will spend an estimated $300 million in a frenetic bid to be elected or re-elected to power. The stakes are high: by the end of this fiscal year, the incumbent administration will have spent $337 billion during its five years in office.
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Crime in T&T, Elections, General T&T, Media, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics

The spectre of emailgate

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By Michael Harris
March 09, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

ParliamentI must confess that I was taken completely by surprise with the news reports last week confirming that the police had received “voluminous” information from Internet service provider Google on the emailgate issue and that the alleged e-mails in the matter were being analysed to determine their authenticity.
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General T&T, Media, MSJ, People's Partnership, Politics

MSJ to fight elections alone

By Laurel V Williams
March 09, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

MSJ leader David AbdulahMovement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah has dispelled speculation that his party would be joining forces with other political parties in the upcoming general elections scheduled for later this year.

Instead, he said the MSJ had ‘conversations’ with individuals in TT “who are equally upset about what is taking place in the country”.
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COP, Elections, General T&T, ILP, MSJ, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, TOP

Political volcano erupts

14 Comments

By Raffique Shah
February 28, 2015

Raffique ShahA 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.
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General T&T, Media, People's Partnership, Politics

The spin doctors

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By Marion O’Callaghan
March 02, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

Ernie RossI 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.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, PNM, UNC

Which party will right these wrongs?

26 Comments

By Raffique Shah
February 22, 2015

Raffique ShahNow that the Carnival is over, we can expect electioneering to intensify, with a maximum of seven months to go before the general election is held. In fact, the ruling People’s Partnership coalition has grabbed a Carnival spillover, photographs of PNM leader Keith Rowley “wining” with a young Indian woman, as ammunition for use in campaigning.

Since the video and photos surfaced late Carnival Tuesday, the pro-UNC blogs have been hammering away at Rowley, dubbing him a “dirty old man” and worse in the hope that some mud will stick. I don’t think it will. The girl has publicly said she had a great Carnival, wine included, and to those who lambaste her and Rowley, she proclaimed boldly, “I hate racial people.”
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