Category Archives: People’s Partnership

A Way of Seeing

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 25, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeDr. Bhoe Tewarie is an academic; so am I. Dr. Tewarie is a Hindu; I am an Orisa, sometimes Anglican. Dr. Tewarie is Tapir/NAR/PP; I have always been a member of the PNM. Dr. Tewaire has been principal of UWI/ Arthur Lock Jack/ Minister of Planning and Economics; I am a professor, researcher and writer of books. Dr. Tewarie is busy planning our 50th anniversary celebrations; I am at the British National Archive researching the first fifty years of our nation’s history (1800-1850). As nationals, there cannot be a starker dichotomy of two lives.
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Exoneration or escape?

By Raffique Shah
July 21, 2012

Raffique ShahFORTY years ago on July 27 I was released from prison a free man. I had spent 27 months in prison, faced a court-martial on mutiny and other charges, and had been committed to stand trial for treason. The treason charge was without substance.

But on the equally serious offence of mutiny, for which the court-martial had found me guilty and sentenced me to 20 years imprisonment, the Court of Appeal later decided there was a miscarriage of justice, hence it overturned the conviction.
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Tobago’s Self-Governance and Legal Separation from T’dad

By Stephen Kangal
July 21, 2012

Stephen KangalIf Tobago were to be accorded full and effective internal self-governance in the current climate, it is mandatory that boundaries separating the domestic jurisdiction of both islands have to be established to demarcate the maritime limits of the reach of their respective law –creating capacity to avoid over-lapping or concurrent jurisdiction and reduce potential conflict.
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When Race Trumps Reason

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 18, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeYou work at an institution for ten years; you begin to like that institution. You grow to admire the intellectual caliber of the men and women who work there and you embalm those precious memories. Ultimately, you reverence that institution as a place where standards matter and excellence is the order of the day. You read Terrence Farrell’s Central Banking in a Developing Economy: A Study of Trinidad and Tobago, 1964 to 1989, you appreciate the origin of central banking in the nation, pre and post-independence. You realize the stature of the men who served this nation as governors (sadly there are no women) and you feel a sense of pride in your nation’s achievement. You realize that no matter what its limitations are, it tries to reward excellence signaling to the nation’s young men and women that achievement matters.
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PM, Cabinet knew about demolition

…protests increase Golconda to Pt Fortin highway by $3.5m

Sunday, July 8, 2012
Anika Gumbs-Sandiford – guardian.co.tt

PeopleResidents of Debe and surrounding areas line the M1 Ring Road in Debe with their placards in a show of support for the Point Fortin to Golconda highway yesterday morning. PHOTO: RISHI RAGOONATH

Minister of National Security Jack Warner did not act on his own accord when he instructed the demolition of the Highway Re-route Movement’s camp, to allow works to resume on the $7.2 billion Point Fortin Highway. In fact, Sunday Guardian learnt that only two weeks before Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar reshuffled her Cabinet, Brazilian firm Construtora OAS Ltd had issued a $3.5 million claim against the Government for breach of the contractual agreement caused by the protesters.
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Cry blood, my beloved country

By Raffique Shah
July 07, 2012

Raffique ShahRARELY do I address the same topic for two consecutive weeks, but I feel compelled, in highly unusual circumstances, to alert the nation to the misadventures of National Security Minister Jack Warner. Last week, like many of my columnist colleagues, I took Warner to task over the way he handled the demolition of the Highway Re-Route Movement’s shed. In a country that adhered to the rule of law, Warner would have fallen on his own sword on that issue alone.
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Jack’s lawlessness and Corruptibility

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 03, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLife in T&T is very funny business. Yo know way yo going; yo don’t know where yo’ likely to reach. The government declares a state of emergency, arrests over 8,000 black young men under the guises that they are/may be criminals. No charges made, no apologies offered and no compensation paid. In fact, we are told by the AG that if dey tink dey go make any money off the state for these illegal arrests, dey lie. He waiting for them. He would release the legal power of the state against them. They had better not even think about seeking compensation.
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Return of Sheriff Lobo

By Raffique Shah
July 01, 2012

Raffique ShahWHAT more must Jack Warner do to prove that he is unfit to be this country’s Minister of National Security? Declare war on Tobago or Venezuela or Barbados? Introduce a death squad to go around executing persons he suspects of being criminals or gangsters? Arrest and detain persons perceived to be opponents of the People’s Partnership Government?
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Warner was right – Afri-centric analysis

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
June 29, 2012

Dr. Kwame NantambuThe decision by newly-appointed Minister of National Security, Austin Jack Warner to demolish the “Highway Re-route Movement” camp on government land was the right thing to do.

The fact of the matter is that since T&T has degenerated into a lawless society, now is the time for a totally responsible government to take the bull by the horns and enforce the laws of this country, period. Long-outstanding half measures did not work; in fact, they have exacerbated the crime problem to the nth degree.
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Politics and Promotions in the Cabinet Re-Shuffle

By Stephen Kangal
June 27, 2012

Stephen KangalThe Cabinet reshuffle, dubbed the new “pan- Cabinet”, would appear to be engineered, driven and tuned exclusively by the politics of consolidation, internal cohesiveness and ministerial promotion/demotion rather than enhancing performance in the post-MSJ era. It is a case of creating some over-lapping and ill-defined courses for horses while earning a six-month respite from the rising tide of adverse media reviews and infrastructural and labour discontent.
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