Category Archives: General T&T

Lies, damn lies and politics

by Raffique Shah
Sunday, October 21st 2007

Basdeo Panday, Patrick Manning and Winston Dookeran
Basdeo Panday, Patrick Manning and Winston Dookeran

If only politicians on all sides of the divide would stick to the facts, given the “goods” they have on each other, or on individual targets, they could sway people’s opinions infinitely more than when they spew lies like a person purged. In fact, because character assassination and mauvais langue are easier for not-too-bright speakers to use, these are rampant on almost every platform. And please, don’t confuse the above with “picong”, which is good Trini humour that teases and tickles crowds, hence invaluable to good speakers. The late Dr. Eric Williams was a master of picong. Pretenders to Eric’s throne have no sense of humour. They are mere comics.
Continue reading Lies, damn lies and politics

The Manning factor in the mix

Fitzgerald Hinds and Keith Rowley
Fitzgerald Hinds and Keith Rowley

Party insiders accuse political leader and Prime Minister Patrick Manning of attempting to remake both the party and the system of government to perpetuate his own brand of leadership. They contend that the Manning-conducted purge of the new PNM old guard has more to do with a perceived lack of loyalty to the leader than to any popularity contest.

There are claims too of a failed Manning attempt to attack, by proxy, his main political rival in the PNM and MP for Diego Martin West, Dr Keith Rowley. Insiders believe that Manning was part of a conspiracy to take Rowley out on the Landate affair.
Continue reading The Manning factor in the mix

Rectal exam a must at Caribbean Airlines

www.guardian.co.tt
Sunday 14th October, 2007

Caribbean AirlinesAs part of their terms of employment, Caribbean Airlines flight attendants must undergo mandatory anal examinations, or risk being dismissed.

Viewed as a draconian policy by staff, the company’s demand that flight attendants submit to the rectal procedure is just one in a series of developments that have contributed to flagging employee morale.
Continue reading Rectal exam a must at Caribbean Airlines

Kamla takes the cake…icing et al

By Raffique Shah
October 14, 2007

Kamla Persad-BissesarMoney, even politicians will tell you, is the root of all evil. After all, ever since this country’s coffers were boosted by oil dollars back in the 1950s, many an elected member has been accused of stealing from the public purse. When Dr. Eric Williams came on the electoral scene in 1956, one charge he used to crush the burly “Bertie” Gomes with was corruption. Shortly after he was put in charge of the Treasury, Williams would himself be accused of corruption. Or, more accurately, that he harboured corrupt ministers and underlings.
Continue reading Kamla takes the cake…icing et al

Good Governance Forever

By Michael De Gale
October 12, 2007

Patrick ManningMr. Manning’s decision to turf the party’s deadweight and replace them with a seemingly talented young group free of political baggage and eager to prove themselves, was a demonstration of decisive leadership, political fortitude and foresight. For too long, the PNM had been burdened with parasites, dinosaurs and political opportunists, who were nothing but an Albatross around the party’s neck, weak links, millstones, liabilities and losers. For this bold and courageous move Mr. Manning should be loudly applauded.
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Flow Cable Upgrade Can Downgrade Your Home

Cable Subscriber
October 09, 2007

Flow Cable Trinidad and TobagoFor those who are having the Cable TV and Internet upgrades, here is what to expect:

They would call you and tell you that your home is scheduled for an upgrade, but they would not tell you upfront that the upgrade means a rewiring of your house, which, depending on how many television sets you have and the parts of the house they are placed, could take an entire day.

Although the Flow cable (Columbus Communications Trinidad Limited) vehicles have water coolers, be prepared to be asked for water continually. You would also have to overhear cellphone conversations continually as their phones ring all the time, and they do speak rather loudly. They would also come to your home with dirty boots, so your carpets would need some work after.
Continue reading Flow Cable Upgrade Can Downgrade Your Home

‘UNC still a force to be reckoned with’

Animated Basdeo PandayExperts: ‘UNC still a force to be reckoned with’
Anyone who thought the United National Congress (UNC) Alliance was a dead political force should now think again, political analysts Professors Selwyn Ryan and John La Guerre said yesterday.
Ryan said that the UNC Alliance’s presentation of 21 candidates on Sunday, which was attended by a crowd of thousands at Mid Centre Mall in Chaguanas, may have proven to be the surprise of the election race so far.

‘UNC Alliance rally was just a big fete’
THE UNITED National Congress Alliance’s Mid Centre Mall crowd on Sunday was an illusion, and it cost $1 million in transport to take people there to fete all day, former UNC chairman Kama Maharaj has said.
He predicted that the COP would get 300,000 votes in the three-way race, and win government.
Maharaj made the comment at the opening Sunday night of the constituency office for attorney Kevin Ratiram, the COP’s candidate for Oropouche West. The office is located at Lall’s Shopping Complex, Debe.
Full Article : trinidadexpress.com

Trinicenter Reporters
October 09, 2007

This election season, many are uneasy about the unpredictability of the outcome of the November 5th polls. Each party wanting victory are hellbent on propagating untruths and they are even judgemental about absurdities that they too are guilty of.

The Trinidad Express published an article written by Richard Charan dated October 09, 2007, titled ‘UNC Alliance rally was just a big fete’.

Here are some interesting points that was published in that article:

“The United National Congress Alliance’s Mid Centre Mall crowd on Sunday was an illusion, and it cost $1 million in transport to take people there to fete all day, former UNC chairman Kama Maharaj has said.”

“Maharaj said he knew the election tricks the UNC used to make a crowd look big.”

“We put tents all around the car park and the inside gets really small. We will bring any amount of people we can find. We never knew that place could hold more than 5,000.”

The reported criticisms by former UNC chairman and now COP member, Kama Maharaj of the UNC could easily apply to his party (COP) as well as to the PNM.
Continue reading ‘UNC still a force to be reckoned with’

Kamla committed to UNC Alliance

UNC Alliance Rally
UNC Alliance Rally in pictures

Kamla fights on
Appearing to throw down the gauntlet to the male-dominated leadership of the UNC Alliance, a bloodied, battered, bandaged but unbowed Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday stated defiantly that she would no longer crawl on her belly before anyone.

Kamla committed to UNC Alliance, T&T

Kamla: I won’t be kept down
Although passed over for the leadership of the UNC Alliance, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she has no regrets over the sacrifices she made for the party…
Continue reading Kamla committed to UNC Alliance

Balisier closes ranks

PNM Supporters braved the inclement weather for the PNM Presentation of Candidates at Woodford Square
PNM Supporters braved the inclement weather for the PNM
Presentation of Candidates at Woodford Square – in pictures

PM: Oddest couple a political absurdity
Prime Minister Patrick Manning has described UNC Alliance leaders, Basdeo Panday and Jack Warner, as the oddest couple in the world…

Balisier closes ranks
PRIME Minister Patrick Manning was surely heartened by the huge turnout of supporters at the PNM’s presentation of candidates yesterday.
Manning’s speech, although it included some moments of passion, did not really excite the crowd. Even several verbal cues he tried to give to the crowd to cheer, such as saying that by his political rivals’ calculations the PNM crowd should number 150,000 people — did not work. Several times the crowd simply did not take up the opportunity he offered them to cheer for the particular point he was making. Even his hilarious attack on a theoretician with fuzzy ideas who would duck and run, failed to elicit the expected raucous laughs of PNMites, or even from his party officers and candidates onstage. “You need steady hands at the helm,” was an assertion that party members should have loudly cheered but was met with dead silence.
Continue reading Balisier closes ranks

Hinds, Hart, Valley and Achong dumped

Fitzgerald Hinds, Eddie Hart, Ken Valley and Larry Achong

Valley accuses Manning of bias
Diego Martin Central MP Ken Valley, in a strongly-worded letter to his political leader Prime Minister Patrick Manning, has called on the PM to accept his endorsement by PNM’s screening committee and stop imposing his bias against his selection as the party’s candidate for the seat in the November 5 general election…

Browne gets the nod for Diego Martin Central
Valley: I don’t feel hurt

THE ruling PNM presents its election candidate team today in a slate which has “cut” party deputy leader Kenneth Valley out as Diego Martin Central candidate and replaced him with Dr Amery Browne…

Last rites for Valley
PM sticks to his guns

‘I leave in grace, not disgrace’
Outgoing Laventille East/ Morvant MP Fitzgerald Hinds comforted tearful supporters whom he urged to stay loyal to the PNM despite his non-selection to contest the seat in the upcoming General Election.