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

Governing the ungovernable

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By Raffique Shah
September 08, 2013

Raffique ShahRather than re-shuffle her Cabinet for a third time in three years, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should have considered resigning and calling fresh general elections.

By an annual tinkering with her appointees and their portfolios, the PM has all but admitted she is incapable of leading the country, which, really, is nothing to be ashamed of. The great Eric Williams often complained this country was ungovernable. It still is.
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Complaints, corruption, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Politics

Give thanks, Trini

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By Raffique Shah
August 31, 2013

Raffique ShahI choose to reflect on the nation’s Independence anniversary through the prism of a glass half-full rather than half-empty. We endure so many negatives in this country—our daily dosage of murder, lawlessness from top to bottom, pillage of the national purse—that if we did not know how to laugh in the face of adversity, we would implode from cerebral constipation.
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General T&T, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics

Proportional representation major change in TT politics

35 Comments

By Andre Bagoo
September 1, 2013 – newsday.co.tt

ParliamentPARLIAMENT will meet this week to vote on unprecedented legislation seeking to reform local government by introducing a system of proportional representation.

The reforms were unveiled by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday. It is proposed that aldermen — who are currently hand-picked by elected councillors — be chosen based on how many votes each party ends up getting overall.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Labour, Police, Politics, Protest, Security

Comic cops

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By Raffique Shah
August 24, 2013

Raffique ShahNot since late Commissioner of Police Jules Bernard publicly declared, “I’m a toothless bulldog!” have I heard so many outlandish statements coming from the mouths of senior officers of the Police Service.

“Criticism hurts,” screams Acting CoP Stephen Williams. Yet, Williams and his most senior officers say and do the most ludicrous things, inviting not just criticism, but oftentimes, bellyfuls of laughter.
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Hindu, ILP, Latin America, PSC, Racism Watch, UNC

Irresponsible!

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Newsday’s Editorial
August 25, 2013 – newsday.co.tt

Raffique ShahIT was the height of irresponsibility for OWTU leader, Ancel Roget, to be among a group of masked, black-clad protesters participating in an illegal demonstration at the Halls of Justice on Wednesday, that had panicked Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mervyn Richardson, into fearing the makings of another attempted coup.

As a seasoned leader of one of the country’s most prominent trade unions, Roget must have known that the protest was a violation of several aspects of the law, both statutory law and common law.
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General T&T, ILP, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

One Laughable Political Moment

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
August 20, 2013

Dr. Kwame NantambuOne of the most laughable and incredulous moments in Trinidad and Tobago’s political history was the public yellow balloon, albeit ploy, by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that certain “councillors” at a national executive meeting of the United National Congress (UNC) urged her to postpone constitutionally-scheduled local government elections.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Media, Politics, Sports, Violence

Plea for Gordon

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By Raffique Shah
August 17, 2013

Raffique ShahThe ten leading stories in last Friday’s online Express related to Jehue Gordon’s golden performance at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow. While that was a welcome respite from the daily fare of murder and mayhem, it told a sad story of just how starved this country is for good news.
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COP, General T&T, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

Politicians panic

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By Raffique Shah
August 10, 2013

Raffique ShahI sense a wave of panic among leaders and frontline members of both the PNM and the UNC/COP Partnership. With Jack Warner on a roll following his by-election victory, and the UNC losing senior members like Lyndira Oudit to the newly formed ILP, a meeting of what can be best described as the ruling party’s general council pleaded with the Prime Minister to postpone local government elections for fear of another routing at the polls.
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General T&T, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics

All hail king Carmona

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By Suzanne Mills
August 09, 2013 – newsday.co.tt

President Anthony CarmonaI’m beginning to believe that President Anthony Carmona thinks he is still a judge, that Trinidad and Tobago is his courtroom and that we are all before him on a charge.

“Madam,” he chided Opposition Whip, Marlene McDonald last Friday as he addressed the opening of Parliament, “I am speaking about conduct!”
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General T&T, Passed on, Sports

Preserving the Tacarigua Savannah

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 09, 2013 – trinicenter.com

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeTacarigua, one of the oldest villages in Trinidad, has always been a peaceful village. In fact, it has been so peaceful that there has never been a police station in that village.(1) One suspects that the presence of its savannah, the second largest in the country after Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain-that is, until the construction of homes on those magnificent grounds in the 1950s,-the gentle-flowing waters of its river to which all repaired on a Sunday, and the peaceful mixture of its peoples-Hindus in Paradise, Muslims in Dinsley, and Africans in St. Mary’s-all added to the attractiveness of the place and mutual respect each accorded to the other. In a way, it could be said that the Tacarigua Savannah held the village together. It certainly was the central spot where everyone gathered.
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