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

Prove me wrong, PNM

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By Raffique Shah
November 17, 2013

Raffique ShahMuch to the dismay of its detractors, the People’s National Movement (PNM) bounces back like the proverbial bad penny almost ritually every five years since it first lost an election in 1986. In the current political scenario, unless the 57-year-old party shoots itself in the head, the incumbents discover some magical elixir, or a mass uprising, a kind of “Trinidad spring”, occurs and spawns something new and exciting, the PNM will return to power in 2015.
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General T&T, ILP, India, MSJ, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, TOP, UNC

St Joseph Embodied the National Electoral Psyche

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By Stephen Kangal
November 11, 2013

Stephen KangalBeing a classic marginal seat, Monday’s St. Joseph Constituency (SJC) bye-election results have encapsulated and mirrored the psycho-political underpinnings of the changing electoral dynamics as well as of the traditional ethnic moorings impacting on and progressively shaping the national political/electoral psyche- a microcosm of the macrocosm.
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General T&T, ILP, India, MSJ, NJAC, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, TOP, UNC

Facing Elections Nightmare

By Raffique Shah
November 10, 2013

Raffique ShahMany readers scoffed at my suggestion in last week’s column that a rapprochement between UNC/COP and the ILP was a strong possibility in the run-up to the next general elections, due no later than August 2015. I imagine diehard supporters on both sides of the divide feel deeply wounded by the abuse their leaders hurled at each other during the three campaigns conducted since Jack Warner broke with the United National Congress (UNC) and formed the Independent Liberal Party (ILP).
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Elections, General T&T, ILP, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

PNM WINS AGAIN

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By Andre Bagoo and Clint Chan Tack
November 05, 2013 – newsday.co.tt

PNM WINS AGAINTHE PEOPLE’s National Movement (PNM) candidate Terrence Deyalsingh was last night declared the winner of the St Joseph bye-election, but only after the country was taken to a nail- biting finish for what was expected to be the last election in a historic year.

Deyalsingh’s nearest rival was the United National Congress (UNC)’s Ian Alleyne who, at some points in the night, appeared in the lead. The Independent Liberal Party (ILP)’s Om Lalla managed the third largest share of votes but was not really in the contest.
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General T&T, Hindu, India, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Bye-Elections Up-Staged and Politicised Divali

By Stephen Kangal
November 04, 2013

Stephen KangalIt is very disturbing that the St. Joseph bye-election was fixed for November 4 by a Government whose real base is the Divali aficionados. The requisite consideration for the simple and well-known fact that the intensity of the pre-election campaigning would coincide with, distract from and up-stage the well-known calendar of pre-divali centralized festivities and regional/village observances was carelessly not factored into the decision-making scenario.
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General T&T, ILP, Law, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Vengeance of Moko

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By Raffique Shah
November 03, 2013

Raffique ShahWhen the votes are counted tomorrow night, the St Joseph by-election will bring to closure what may well be the most torturous year in the electoral history of this country. Two scheduled elections—the THA in January and local government last month—and two unscheduled by-elections have left us numb from campaign punishment.
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General T&T, ILP, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

UNC Lacks Institutional Memory on Vote-Splitting

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By Stephen Kangal
October 30, 2013

Stephen KangalIt appears that the UNC has no institutional memory relating to the impact of a third force in adversely affecting its electoral performance. Its well-known experience of 2007 and its course correction strategy of 2010 with the COP ought to be very instructive and to determine how it must act to avoid splitting the votes like split peas especially when that third force originates from amongst its traditional base.
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Gender, General T&T

My View on the BBC’s Discussion on Motherhood and Equality

By Corey Gilkes
October 30, 2013

Dr Noel KalicharanOn Friday there was an interesting and important discussion on the BBC as part of its week-long commemoration of 100 women. The discussion explored the question “Is motherhood and impediment to equality”? Well with a title like that it was clear from what cultural context someone was thinking, but more on that in a lil bit. It was clear that many in the room felt the same way as the initial vote showed that 73% believed that it did and at the end of the discussion that figure only decreased by 3%.
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General T&T, Law, Politics, UNC

The clause that killed PR

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By Dr Noel Kalicharan
October 29, 2013

Dr Noel KalicharanThis article does not concern itself with the pros and cons of proportional representation (PR). I write in my capacity as a student of mathematics, not as a Commissioner on the EBC.

Let me begin by posing a question and I want you to answer it without agonising too much about what the answer should be. Just go with your common sense notion about what you think PR is meant to accomplish.
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COP, Elections, General T&T, ILP, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Kamla croaks away

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By Raffique Shah
October 26, 2013

Raffique ShahType the name “Kamla” on the Google search engine and see what comes up. That “Kamla”, a very common Hindu name, instantly yields Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, suggests that she is the number one “Kamla” in the world—something we should all be proud of.
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