Tag Archives: T&T Govt

Crime in T&T, General T&T, International, Politics, Venezuela

We must manage migration

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By Raffique Shah
May 01, 2018

Raffique ShahSometime in or around 1990, a large number of mostly Indo-Trinidadians, variously estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000, fled this country for Canada, and successfully exploited that country’s liberal immigration laws pertaining to refugee status and asylum, claiming political or racial persecution in Trinidad and Tobago.

The “refugees”, who were really Trinis seeking greener economic pastures in a huge, thriving Canada, realised their dreams through the wiles of a pool of “immigration lawyers” who, for handsome fees, beat the system and won them the right to live and work there. I imagine that most of them remain residents of Canada to this day, and they are happy in their adopted homeland.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics, Tobago

Tobago Self Government Bill To Amend Constitution by the Back Door

By Stephen Kangal
April 28, 2018

Stephen KangalWere the 1.3 million people domiciled in Trinidad to continue and persist in their laid-back complacent mode it could be a case of the unilateral, Tobago -centred and driven large scale amendment of the 1976 Republican Constitution using the back door provided by the Tobago Self-Government Bill No 5 of 2018 that is now before a JSC for its evaluation, scrutiny, amendments and report back to Parliament.
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General T&T, Politics, Tobago

Give Tobago full independence

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By Raffique Shah
April 25, 2018

Raffique ShahI’ve had it up to here (Shah motions his right palm one inch above his five-foot, six-and-a-half-inches-frame) with the cantankerous complainers from the island of Tobago who, seemingly every day, appear on multiple media forums to cuss Trinidadians in general, and the Government in particular, for failing to provide them with heavily subsidised services, be it ferry or air transport, medical or education facilities.
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General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics

President Erred In Appointing Cuffie a Minister

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By Stephen Kangal
April 18, 2018

Stephen KangalIn spite of the surprising level of sensitivity and thin skin displayed by Her Excellency The President Ms Paula Mae-Weekes to public concerns expressed on the Darryl Smith appointment I submit that she should not have acceded immediately to the advice of the Prime Minister and proceeded unwittingly to appoint ailing Maxie Cuffy in a new post as a Minister.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

Ignorance and Conspiracy No Bases for Moses’ Absolution

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By Stephen Kangal
April 11, 2018

Stephen KangalProfessed terylene ignorance of goings-on at Minister Moses’ own Ministry, allegations of a deliberate conspiracy to side line his weak and wobbly political directorate/ tenure in foreign policy finalization and lastly non-attendance by T&T at the March 15 OAS Budget Committee Meeting of officials on the Dominica waiver issue are being given centre-stage in the unconvincing explanatory paradigm for the anti- Dominica T&T vote debacle as well as the justification for the absolution by The Prime Minister of an out-of-his-depth, bed-raggled, somnolent and confused Foreign Minister Moses.
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General T&T, Labour, PNM, Politics, Sex

Darryl Smith Fired by Rowley

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The statement from the Office of the Prime Minister

Darryl SmithToday, (April 10, 2018) Prime Minister Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley advised Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in keeping with the provision of Section 3(9) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, to revoke the appointment of Mr Darryl Smith as Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

This following a meeting between the Prime Minister, the Minister of Planning and Development, the Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis and Mr Smith during which new information came to the attention of the Prime Minister.
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Dominica, General T&T, PNM, Politics

Workers Union Betters Our US Ambassador

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By Stephen Kangal
April 04, 2018

Stephen KangalThe woeful conduct or lack thereof of T&T’s foreign relations/policies has degenerated to such a paltry and embarrassing state of affairs under lame-duck and struggling Minister Dennis Moses that even a grass-roots National Workers Union (NWU) is more in tune with our high profile foreign policy towards beleaguered Dominica than our current accredited Head of Mission to the USA/OAS, Ambassador Anthony Phillip-Spencer.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics, UNC

Permission Please, Sir

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
April 3, 2018

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn Monday I attended UNC’s Monday Night Forum. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought. I have always attended political meetings of every stripe to understand the political currents of my society and the world. I never supported Tapia, but Lloyd Best and I remained the best of friends. We attended the same primary school.

In 1972 David Abdullah contested the Tunapuna seat as a candidate for the ULF. I voted for the PNM. We remain friends. I was never a fast friend of Basdeo Panday but nothing stopped me from attending ULF meetings at Mid-Center Mall and other places. In August of last year, Nicole Dyer-Griffith was contesting the leadership of Congress of the People. I attended a meeting at the Tunapuna Community Centre to hear what she had to say.
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Gender, General T&T

Reformation before revolution

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By Raffique Shah
March 29, 2018

Raffique ShahI was writing last week’s column when Madam Justice Paula-Mae Weekes’s inauguration as President of the Republic was underway at the Queen’s Park Savannah, so I missed out on most of the pomp and pageantry. No disrespect was intended: President Paula (well, we did have President Max) will understand my absence, what with a deadline to meet, and with Parkinson’s affecting the pace at which I write, though not the speed at which I think or the sharpness of my memory and mind.
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

Our Humble First Servant

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
March 27, 2018

“A true and worthy ideal frees and uplifts a people; a false ideal imprisons and lowers [them].” — W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Souls of White Folks”

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI am beyond myself with pride that the present government selected Paula-Mae Weekes to be the first president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). It speaks volumes about our confidence in ourselves and points the way forward. This appointment speaks volumes particularly when women are being targeted, demeaned, and killed with growing frequency.
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