By SEAN DOUGLAS, www.newsday.co.tt

In 2003, Prime Minister Patrick solidified his political base, with the Opposition largely confined to accusing the Government of tyranny and discrimination. But he then created public outrage by several policy decisions.

In his favour, Manning built on his 2002 general election win, in the July 14 Local Government election where the ruling PNM made gains in the UNC’s Central heartland. The PNM won nine out of 14 regional councils, gaining Siparia and Sangre Grande from the UNC, and tied in one council, Rio Claro/Mayaro. Manning’s hand was further strengthened when his nominee for President, Prof George Maxwell Richards, was elected by the parliamentary electoral college, comfortably beating UNC nominee, former Senate President Ganace Ramdial. Richards declared that he would be his own man, and apart from falling at his first official engagement in opening the new Public Library, has not been seen to put a foot wrong as he has kept a very busy schedule of activies.

Also in Manning’s favour was the fact that dissent within his own party was largely limited to grumbling about the continued lack of Cabinet portfolio allocations to Laventille East/Morvant MP Fitzgerald Hinds and Tobago East MP Eudine Job, and to Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley differing with Manning on affirmative action in tertiary education. On November 7, Manning reshuffled his Cabinet, with 13 ministers being affected. The major moves were replacement of Howard Chin Lee by Martin Joseph as Minister of National Security, replacement of Glenda Morean by John Jeremie as Attorney-General, replacement of Colm Imbert by John Rahael as Minister of Health, and replacement of Dr Keith Rowley by Camille Robinson-Regis as Minister of Planning.

The Opposition had criticised Chin Lee, now Minister of Tourism, for not stopping the continuing crime-wave which in 2003 has escalated into kidnappings. Morean was castigated by the UNC over her handling of the Integrity Act legislation. Imbert had faced a rough year over the protests by public sector doctors over salaries. Rowley is thought to have been removed for supporting affirmative action in student admission to COSTAATT institutions. While in Agriculture, despite Opposition protests John Rahael was able to do the "impossible" and close the unprofitable Caroni (1975) Limited giving VSEP to most of the 9,000 dismised workers. Manning comfortably strode the international stage, taking a line independent of United States pressures. He supplied oil to then embattled Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, imported doctors from Cuba, and ignored US calls to support the US invasion of Iraq and to exempt US citizens from the International Criminal Court. Again, luckily for Manning the country had entered an energy boom with both record production levels and oil/gas market prices, and with even greater revenues in oil and natural gas predicted for 2004. He was able to present a $22 billion National Budget with generous aid for the social sector.

Some $225 million was allocated to CEPEP, $200 million for URP, and $50 million for each of "Community Projects" and "Reafforestation Projects." But contrasting these millions in allocation to the closure of Caroni (1975) Limited for reasons of non-viability, the Opposition accused the Government of discrimination. The Opposition revealed the CEPEP contracts were untendered and claimed that URP jobs and NHA refurbishment works were given to thugs. The Opposition severely embarrased the Government by disclosing a Budget document which had advocated affirmative action to young Afro Trinidadian males for entry to COSTAATT institutions. The Government denied that this was their policy, blaming the paragraph on a printer’s error. One of Manning’s greatest shortcoming in 2003 was his Government’s inability to stop spiralling crime, with record assassinations and kidnappings, and the number of murder victims passing 200.

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani visited Trinidad to offer crime-fighting tips as the guest of CLICO, and has since formally offered his services to the Ministry of National Security. Leader of the Opposition Basdeo Panday repeated that he would soon like to retire from politics, but despite the public urging of St Joseph MP, Gerard Yetming, has failed to yet do so. St Augustine MP, Winston Dookeran, in a report said the UNC was not Panday’s property. Former colleagues from the UNC government, Mervyn Assam and Trevor Sudama have added to the call for Panday to go. Former attorney-general, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, remained busy championing an array of underprivileged social groups including fired Caroni workers and evicted Curepe farmers. But nothing much has been heard about his National Team Unity, with former colleague Trevor Sudama saying the party is dead, and party co-founder Ralph Maraj having rejoined the PNM at its Annual Convention.

The NAR fared poorly in the local government elections but was given several aldermen appointments by its UNC accomodation partner. It was a tumultuous year in Parliament. Amid acrimonious debate the Kidnaping Bill was passed which imposes a 25-year jail term for kidnapping for ransom. Without Opposition support due to a policy of non-cooperation until there is constitutional reform, the Bill was watered down, so that those charged would still be allowed bail. After two years of delay, the Government finally passsed the Forms and Regulations to effect the Integrity Act 2000. These now await proclamation by the President in 2004. Some debate is anticipated over a possible amendment to the parent Act however with Manning saying he wants to narrow the scope of persons who must declare their assetts.

Opposition Leader in the Senate, Wade Mark alleged that the Government was electronically spying on the Opposition. At another time he claimed that a police death squad existed and that Manning regularly met Jamaat al Muslimeen leader, Yasin Abu Bakr. Manning denied these claims; Bakr said he met Manning fortnightly. Several times the Parliament descended into chaos.Wade Mark, was involved in several high profile clashes including once with then Minister of Science, Danny Montano. President of the Senate, Dr Linda Baboolal, on 9 April read the riot act to Senators some whom she said had threatened her. The Opposition in turn accused both Baboolal and Speaker of the House of Representatives Barendra Sinanan of bias, a charge the duo denied. In May the then Minister of Public Utilities, Rennie Dumas, had been unable to answer several Opposition questions about the sale at a $122,000 discount of WASA houses to WASA managers. An inquiry by forensic investigator, Bob Lindquist, into a $51 million out of court settlement between WASA and Water Farms Limited, cleared anyone of wrongdoing.

On November 16 the media reported that Barendra Sinanan’s life had been threatened. The day after, the country learnt of the death of Opposition Senator Arnim Smith of natural causes. At the end of December Manning attended a Commonwealth meeting in Nigerria, and in Washington DC met United States President George W Bush. Manning reported back that he would try to address US concerns about terrorism by tackling the drug trade in Trinidad. But perhaps Manning’s greatest woes in 2003 were of his own making. "Reliable sources" had informed the media that the Government intended to relocate Parliament from the Red House which would then become the official Office of the Prime Minister. Parliament would in the long term be relocated to a new parliamentary complex to be built north of Knox Street, and in the short-term, according to official sources, be housed in Emperor Valley Zoo. This proposal provoked a huge public outcry, even from former First Lady Zalahyar Hassanali. Critics protested not just the attendant costs, but the aborogation to Manning of the historic seat of our Parliament. Manning also caused an outcry by proposing to merge the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) with First Citizens Bank (FCB), which critics doubted he was legally entitleed to do. In reply Manning said it was "just a thought" but nevertheless when UTC chairman Hubert Alleyne criticised the idea, he found himself out of a job. When Alleyne resigned as chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), the bank prevented him addressing a Staff Recognition Award.

The Opposition accused Manning of being heavy handed when he suggested that a person "bad-talking" the country might be committing treason. Moreso, in delivering his Budget address Manning said his Government would not tolerate civil disobedience, while the same day UNC MPs Dr Hamza Rafeeq and Manohar Ramsdaran, were arrested for participating in an anti-crime march in Central Trinidad. The Government raised eyebrows by its announcement by then Mninister of Legal Affairs, Camille Robinson-Regis, that all citizens would be fingerprinted and given a personal identification number, which would both form part of their records in the Ministry of National Security. So 2004 will show whether Manning makes any more gaffes, how his new Cabinet performs, and whether any new persons will come to the fore to lead the Opposition.