Tag Archives: Politics

Food, General T&T, People's Partnership, Protest

Tragic waste

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Newsday Editorial
April 28 2011 – newsday.co.tt

The MarketAuthorities may have followed the letter of the law in the eviction of squatters illegally farming State lands at Mausica Road, D’Abadie, but officials might have used a defter touch.

We agree that the D’Abadie farmers were legally obliged to vacate the lands, but this problem stretched back to 2008. Discussions could have been held with squatting farmers in order to establish a date which facilitated the collection of crops and which did not delay in manner untoward the housing project in whose way the farmers stand.
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Complaints, Food, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics

Day of Destruction

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By Burton Sankeralli
April 26, 2011

The MarketPineapple… sweet potato… water melon… pak choi… lettuce… topi tambo… bodi… pumpkin… corn…

On April 25th, 2011, this Day of Destruction, the so-called Peoples’ Partnership government destroyed 175 acres of food crops in two agricultural sites. There are certain actions that come to define a regime, certain events when such a regime loses its fundamental credibility. Such an event may involve bloodshed or it may, on the surface, be largely symbolic or it can involve the killing of crops.
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Africa, General T&T, India, Media, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Race Talk in the House

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ParliamentRace Talk in House: Jack, Rowley square off
The People’s Partnership has achieved better ethnic balance in the appointments of boards, Works Minister Jack Warner stated yesterday. He was speaking in the House of Representatives on the motion filed by Dr Keith Rowley, asking the House to reaffirm its collective commitment to the principles of fairness and meritocracy in public affairs in the light of the “reckless and divisive statements” made by the former Police Service Commission chairman Nizam Mohammed.
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General T&T, India, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Police Service Is Unique and Powerful

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By Stephen Kangal
April 20, 2011

Stephen KangalThe Police Service is singularly the most unique and powerful institution of the state. The establishment of that service cannot be honestly and usefully compared with and justified by the ethnic composition of the establishment of any other public and private sector institution. At the same time the entry requirements for this service is academically minimal. Brawn was accorded overriding importance at the early stage of the then Police Force. Accordingly studying law, medicine or the professions was never an alternative to being a police man.
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General T&T, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Rowley’s Failure

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
April 20, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThe hiccups PNM is going through have more to do with Keith Rowley’s failure to lead than Patrick Manning’s political intransigence and nostalgia for power. Manning, the insane victim of his own ill-judgment, is suffering from the failed-leader syndrome to which many past leaders fall prey: an inability to recognize they messed up and ought to leave the political stage quietly if they cannot do so gracefully. This is the difference between great leaders (such as Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania) who knew how to demit office peacefully and stubborn autocrats (such as Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarack of Egypt and Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivore) for whom power is an entrancing aphrodisiac.
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Africa, General T&T, India, Law, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Is the Problem Really Race?

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lettersTHE EDITOR: Within recent weeks the country has been engaged in a lot of dialogue on the issue of race relations in T&T; the many different names that this issue is called demonstrates our dilemma in having a genuine debate on the state of relations between peoples of different ethnic origins domiciled here. The situation is further compounded by those who lead the discussions and their agenda, explicit and implicit.
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General T&T, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics

Manning’s Humiliation

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Newsday’s Editorial
Sunday, April 17 2011

Patrick ManningFormer prime minister, Patrick Manning, not only had a private motion tabled in his name, rejected in the House of Representatives by vote of Government members, but suffered the public humiliation of five members of the political party he once led, the People’s National Movement (PNM) openly refusing to give him the support he clearly expected.
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Culture, Education, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Religion

On Religion and Schools

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By Corey Gilkes
April 14, 2011

The BibleI cyar keep up wit dis government nah, is from one thing straight to the next. Last Monday, one of the many announcements made by the Minister of Education was that there was going to be a review of the way religious education is taught in the nation’s schools. From all indications the aim is to create at the very least a greater understanding of the various faiths that exist in the country. Now it is no secret that I maintain a strong disapproval and dismissal of all organised religion; I consider all the major faiths to be bigoted, misogynist, patricentric murder cults, very authoritarian and largely steeped in anti-intellectualism. Like the very learned Denis Solomon I too consider religious education (oxymoron anyone?) to be a form of child abuse. But that’s MY opinion of them. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it is right and it definitely does not mean that everyone should adopt that stance.
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Finance, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Protest

NWU Condemns Signing of 5% Deal

By Gerry Kangalee (NWU National Education and Research Officer)
April 12, 2011

President of the PSA Watson DukeThe National Workers’ Union (NWU) condemns without qualification the acceptance by the President and Executive of the Public Services Association (PSA) of the 5% wage offer of the Government.

The situation smells to high heaven and is quite rightly being labelled as a sell out by all and sundry. It is rather suspicious that it came when resistance to Government’s wage suppression policy was once again, gaining momentum, after the high point public servants had taken it to last October.
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Finance, General T&T, Media, People's Partnership, Politics, Protest

Duke accepts 5% …accused of ‘Sell out’

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Emergency meeting, Duke takes pounding, accused of ‘Sell out’

By Corey Connelly
April 10, 2011 – newsday.co.tt

President of the PSA Watson DukeSeveral executive members of the Public Services Association (PSA) are said to be crying betrayal following Friday’s surprise signing of a five percent wage agreement between the Government and the union for public servants.
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