Governance by God…no less

By Raffique Shah
March 07, 2010

Prime Minister Patrick ManningIf Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s brimstone-and-fire like sermon in Parliament two Fridays ago was reflective of the normal behaviour of Born-Again-Whatever, then I thank the Lord (if She exists) for saving me from the darkness that envelops such tortured souls, for allowing me to see the light of rational thinking at a very early age in my life.
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BREAKING NEWS: Calder Hart Resigns

BREAKING NEWS

Calder Hart resigns from Udecott
Calder Hart resigns from Udecott
Calder Hart has resigned from Udecott and all other state boards in Trinidad and Tobago.

HART RESIGNS
ALMOST two years after allegations of corruption were first made against him, Calder Hart yesterday resigned as the Udecott executive chairman and as the chairman of four other state boards he had been appointed to under Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s administration.
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Hart family ties to UDeCOTT contracts

WE WANT ANSWERS, MR. PRIME MINISTER

By Andre Bagoo
March 05, 2010

PM Patrick Manning and Calder HartTHE CONGRESS of the People (COP) yesterday called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to immediately account for his failure to take action against Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart in light of fresh evidence linking Hart to a company his board awarded $820 million in contracts.
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Well a Woman is Almost There

So wha bout the politics now?

By Corey Gilkes
March 02, 2010
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

Kamla Persad-BissessarOn the 24th January an interesting but not unexpected shift in the politics occurred when Kamla Persad-Bissessar was voted in as political leader of the United National Congress dethroning the charismatic veteran leader and founder of the party, Basdeo Panday. This paved the way for her being sworn in as Leader of the Opposition on the 25th February. Kamla’s victory is significant in more ways than one. For well over fifty years there have been women figuring in one way or another in the political world of Trinidad and Tobago. Significant strides have been made by such figures as Audrey Jeffers, Gertrude Kirton, Muriel Donawa-McDavidson and Jean Pierre, to name but a few and while in the past there have been women appointed by the Prime Minister to function in his capacity in his absence, never before have we seen a woman elected to lead a political party with the likelihood that she may also be elected as the country’s next Prime Minister.
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Maha Saba Children’s Phagwa 2010

Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba Children's Phagwa 2010
Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba Children's Phagwa 2010
A kaleidoscope of colour and brightness, reminiscent of youth, innocence and vibrance was witnessed yesterday at the Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba Children’s Phagwa celebrations at the Tunapuna Hindu School. Hundreds of students from various Hindu schools from all over Trinidad assembled to experience the delight of Phagwa and the fun of splashing each other with abeer with the dominant colours being purple, red, green, blue, pink, orange and yellow.
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PM does not get it

Newsday Editorial
February 28, 2010 – newsday.co.tt

PM Patrick ManningWe wonder what impression the Caribbean Parliamentary visitors must have had on Friday of Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s display of religious fervour — some would even say religious rage at what he perceives as persecution of himself and of the Full Gospel churches in Trinidad and Tobago?
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Ghosts in Panday’s political afterlife

Former Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday
Former Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday
By Raffique Shah
February 28, 2010

THE tide of events often disrupts the best laid plans of columnists. I promised readers last week that I would today conclude my take on a ‘dying Carnival’. I wanted to share my thoughts on the few remaining bright sparks in the festival-the effervescent young pannists, calypsonians Kurt Allen, Brian London and Kizzie Ruiz, and dedicated cultural activists who refuse to allow our Carnival to descend into the abyss of nothingness.
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Kamla’s First Day in Parliament as Opposition Leader

Kamla's First Day in Parliament as Opposition Leader - Panday prefers back bench
Kamla's First Day in Parliament as Opposition Leader
PNM salutes Bas in House
Former Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday yesterday defied the order of UNC chief whip Jack Warner and stuck to his word to occupy a backbench seat in the Parliament yesterday.

Bas disappoints Kamla
FORMER Opposition Leader, Couva North MP Basdeo Panday, sat on the Opposition back- bench yesterday, ignoring a call by his successor Kamla Persad-Bissessar to stay on the front bench next to her.
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Manning charges religious persecution

PM Patrick Manning yesterday in parliament
PM Patrick Manning yesterday in parliament
Religious Persecution
PRIME Minister Patrick Manning yesterday said a church being built at the Heights of Guanapo is above board, as he accused his detractors of “religious persecution” of him and the Full Gospel faith.

Manning charges religious persecution
Prime Minister Patrick Manning says born-again Christians must stop accepting the denigration of their faith by people who know none of their beliefs.
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Arimians walk out on Hazel Manning

By Ralph Banwarie and Rhondor Dowlat
February 26, 2010 – newsday.co.tt

Former Minister of Education, current Minister of Local Government and wife of Prime Minister Patrick Mnning, Hazel Manning
Former Minister of Education, current Minister of Local Government and wife of Prime Minister Patrick Mnning, Hazel Manning
TWO WELL-KNOWN Arimians — parang icon Holly Betaudier, 85, and retired teacher and nutritionist Louis Horne — have taken Local Government Minister Hazel Manning to task for describing the borough as being “just bush” 56 years ago.

“It is a pity that the person (Mrs Manning) had to say something like that. If Arima was only bush, 56 years ago, I would never have gone to Edinburgh University in London. Arima was not bush then. Arima made me who I am today. That person really does not know what she is talking about,” Horne stated.
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