PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning feels “vindicated” by, the findings of the report of the Uff Commission of Inquiry into Udecott and the construction industry.
PM: I did it for the Opposition
PARLIAMENT was dissolved to prevent politicians from taking advantage of their parliamentary privilege to slander the name of the Government, as is normally the case in the build-up to an election, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said on Thursday night.
PM dares Opposition: ‘My lawyers ready for you’
PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning warned Opposition UNC MPs that they will not be protected by parliamentary privilege when they go on a public platform and say things which they planned to say in the debate on the no-confidence motion in him which was scheduled to take place yesterday in the House of Representatives.
Chinese abandon church site…again
A DAY after Parliament was dissolved, paving the way for a snap general election, the Shanghai Construction Chinese labourers have packed up and yesterday deserted the construction site of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ church at the Heights of Guanapo in Arima.
EBC to recruit 11,000 for election
THE ELECTIONS and Boundaries Commission (EBC), the body charged with administering the upcoming general election, will recruit 11,000 staff to assist with the 2010 polls which will see more than a million people eligible to vote.
Customs, BIR workers say ‘Amen’ to TTRA
PSA jubilant over TTRA’s failure
The Public Services Association (PSA) and employees of the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) and Customs and Excise Division are celebrating the failure of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) bill at Thursday’s sitting of the Senate.
Manning, Kamla in Tobago today
PNM, UNC launch campaigns Monday…
AG on way out
THIS country is likely to have a new Attorney General, even if the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) wins, as AG John Jeremie — according to sources close to him — will not put himself up for service in that post.
Gary Hunt drops out
Deputy Speaker Pennelope Beckles emerged from Balisier House last night, looking not totally confident that she will get the nod to again contest the Arima seat for the PNM. In the midst of all of this came reports last night that Sport Minister Gary Hunt has withdrawn his candidacy for the Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West for the PNM…
Hunt is out; Penny pressed – PM grills Beckles
The $2 million flag of honour at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain was yesterday transformed into a shroud in which the political prospects of Sports Minister Gary Hunt were buried.
Penny chastised for congratulating Kamla
UNC, COP move to wrap up unity talks
Kamla to meet TOP today
Head of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) Ashworth Jack said yesterday that unity was essential to take this country forward and remove the People’s National Movement from government.
Jack: More autonomy for Tobago
GREATER autonomy for Tobago will be a critical factor in sealing any political alliance between the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) and any other opposition party, TOP political leader Ashworth Jack said yesterday.
Ramesh faces challenger for Tabaquite
Tabaquite blanks Ramesh for Anand Ramlogan
Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj may want another term as UNC Member of Parliament for Tabaquite, but it appears he has been deserted by the constituency executive in favour of attorney Anand Ramlogan.
COP, UNC: One candidate to fight PM
A single candidate approved by the UNC and COP may challenge Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s 39-year-old stranglehold on the constituency of San Fernando East in the pending general election, UNC Political Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.
Bas: UNC now a party of elitists
Won’t be easy, but Treasury not empty
There is a theory that is picking up some traction that one of the reasons for Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s decision to call a snap general election is that it might be better for him to lose the poll and allow the Opposition to inherit the bitter chalice of an empty Treasury.
Avoiding the usual rhetoric
The opposition parties certainly have a lot of ammunition to use against the incumbent People’s National Movement in the election campaign. It would be a strategic mistake, however, if they were to rely solely, or even mainly, on critiquing the Government in order to win votes.
Kamla wants election observers
ALTHOUGH UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a call for international observers to monitor the general election she also declared that voters are the main deterrent to electoral fraud.
Too late for counselling
What could have driven a young mother, as police believe, to have ended the lives of her two young children by hanging and then hang herself? Could the tragedy of the double murder/suicide, involving Rawtee Linda Boodoo, 31, and her children, Ashwaria, aged five and Kristina, 15 months, have been averted through timely counselling?
Rapid rail objectors too hot to handle
“Pack your bags and return to France!” These were the angry shouts of Central and East residents at a public consultation on the Rapid Rail project, at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Thursday night.
Artists: NAPA waste of public funds
Newsday continues its publication of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Construction Sector which was submitted to President George Maxwell Richards on March 29 by commission chairman Professor John Uff.
How could any reasonable, literate person read the UFF Report and conclude,”I feel vindicated”.
This prime minister is either delusional or a master of political spin.What is even more insane is the willingness of his tribal following to buy his version, lock , stock and barrel.
Caution to all, in spite the PNM’s long list of blunders, do not count them out in any election. The tribal , loyal forces will reveive and possibly triumph.
Hart back in T&T
Former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) John Calder Hart is back. Thirty five days after Hart resigned and fled the country, he quietly returned on American Airlines flight 1819 around 9.40 pm last night. He was in the company of fired Udecott chairman, Krishna Bahadoorsingh.
Psychic: He’ll make public appearance this week
Psychic Winston Ragoo last night said Hart will make a public appearance this week as the PNM kicks off its campaign.
Manning met Sunway four times
PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning met four times at his office with officials representing the Malaysian firm Sunway Construction Bhd, the company to which the award of a $368 million contract by Udecott has been linked to former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart in an ongoing police investigation.
PNM campaign to exceed $150m
The People’s National Movement (PNM) is set to kick off a multi-million dollar campaign in what could be described as one of the largest election campaigns ever in the history of T&T.
Manning says local govt elections this year
PM: I am on the way out
PRIME MINISTER and People’s National Movement (PNM) Political Leader Patrick Manning yesterday declared that whether the PNM wins or loses this year’s General Election, it could very well be the last one he faces.
Challenges for snap poll
NOW THAT Prime Minister Patrick Manning has signalled his intentions to call a snap general election even before mid-term of his People’s National Movement five-year administration, the pertinent question is not WHEN he will announce the election date, but WHY face the electorate now?
Confusion over PNM candidates
Confusion reigned at Balisier House yesterday where the People’s National Movement screening continued.
Balisier protest
Mayaro executive criticises Manning, screening committee
I’m on my way out, says PM Manning
UNC strikes deal with TOP
The UNC has given way for the TOP to contest the two seats in Tobago.
Dookeran confident as election looms
Congress of the People political leader Winston Dookeran says the people of Trinidad and Tobago have found themselves in an historic situation now that Prime Minister Patrick Manning has paved the way for an early general election.
COP looking for $12m
…UNC unsure of campaign figure
Congress of the People (COP) is looking for $12 million to finance its 2010 election campaign.That’s if the party is contesting all 41 seats alone. If they join forces with the United National Congress (UNC), COP’s chairman of elections Dr Navi Muradali say they will need a little more than $6 million, which would have to be generated by its candidates.
Devant resigns from COP
…says party support base being eroded
Developing protocol for governance
Deputy political leader of Congress of the People, Wendy Lee Yuen, is extremely confident the ruling People’s National Movement will come up against a united opposition in the pending snap general election.
…the Uff Report is an SOS which I intend to heed
Q&A with Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Political Leader of the United National Congress and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says there will be no reward for those who are victims of their own greed, as she tells Sasha Mohammed how a United National Congress government plans to deal with CL Financial, the Hindu Credit Union and other urgent matters facing T&T.
What a choice
PRIME Minister Patrick Manning has done the country no favours by his sudden dissolution of Parliament and so offering voters the stark choice of a battered ruling party and an as yet unformed Opposition.
Time not on their side
Bewilderment survives over the realisation that, less than midway in the prescribed term, Prime Minister Patrick Manning actually abandoned his governing mandate. Neither the ruling party nor the country has demonstrably needed this untimely diversion of focus and effort to a general election.
Dookeran committed to unity with UNC
Martin Daly: The mysterious variable
I must first ask why would Mr Manning think of calling an election so early into a new term in office, particularly at a time when his Government has been damaged by his loud personal support for Calder Hart, to whom he granted absolute power, and for the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) gravy train?
Selwyn Ryan: The polls and the Panday phenomenon
How Manning Govt project came unstuck
Mothers offered babies for photo-op kissing by the one prime minister we have, whose ears were suddenly available for long-rehearsed plaints about water and roads and His ‘walkabouts’ always led to a ‘cottage’ meeting, held in any place but a cottage, and attended by reporters, and a clapping claque arranged by the People’s National Movement (PNM) central casting.
Sat: Political ground has shifted to the UNC
Narace: Don’t expect perfect health care
Health Minister Jerry Narace has said that while his ministry has made major strides in dealing with health in Trinidad and Tobago, citizens should not expect health care in health institutions to be perfect.
Jack sued
…businessman claims UNC chairman owes $40m
As the general election swings into gear, political parties have begun to point barbs at one another. Coming ‘under the gun’ is United National Congress chairman, Jack Warner…
Warner disputes allegations
Warner, in Tobago yesterday, said: “I am not surprised at all the election gimmicks will surface at this time, however, I will not be defamed or demotivated to change the Government of T&T.” In a release earlier, Warner said he was prepared to dispute those claims and as such he will be represented by an English Queen’s Council (QC) in the matter.
Ramesh: I’ve formed no new party
Gary hunt does belong in PNM fold.
He’s too much of a gentleman………..apologising to the nation when you go wrong?!
That’s unseemly behavior in the PNM camp. He supposed to be arrogant about it, not humble!
Get out of her!
Better late than never.
This is getting so difficult to bear , that it is almost pathetic, especially coming from T-Man , closet spokesman of the ‘U-ENT-SEE.’ It seems that each time the PM flushes his toilet , or burp ,these comedians latches on to his every word , without even realizing that they are being manipulated “like a puppet on a string,” as the UWI alum sucks all the media air time current from their leaders. Tell me how is “I am on my way out,” or any other recent timely utterance , any different from , “all ah we thief,” “not a darm seat for them,” , “money is no problem,” “when I speak no darm dog bark ,if I put a crapaud.. ,” you the more astute ,catch my drift, yes?
In the mean time a poor , desperate woman and potential voter, from within the tribal enclave, lost her life, perhaps as a result of homicide ,or suicide ,along with her two kids, and not a squeak from these political cowards , even as the distraught father huddled in pain for all the world to see.
One would think that these jokers would do what’s necessary to put their tenuous political house in order , by ironing out a coherent socio economic broad based policy, as opposed to pick out the new drapes for the PM ‘s residence.
Instead T-Man , misguided , pompous , and condescending Lee Yeun, and similar others ,feel that there is some merit in reverting to kindergarten like reverse psychology , by beating up on PNM supporters for their possible future decisions , so as to scare them into support for their concept of change.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/04/11/developing-protocol-governance
Who the hell is controlling the agenda of this party , what role is Mr Dookeran prepared to play in a possible future government? Didn’t Mr Panday not just call the new UNC , a party of elites ? Who is going find the ball and chain , along the tweezers to cut this man tongue out, and or lock him up in a maximum prison – if such exist in Trinidad -before his conviction or our next election, which ever comes first.
Speaking about literacy , half of Trinidad and Tobago are perhaps illiterate , and living close to the poverty line , do you really believe any of them care to read , or will attempt to understand this report , even if you threatened to empty the treasury , and pay each $50,000:00 a piece to do so ? Time to move on T-Man , don’t you get Trinis do not care , if Good Friday falls on a Monday – unless of course you threatened to take away one of their holidays.
Let’s wish them well, ehhh?
Neal is perfectly correct in suggesting that these jokers should
“do what’s necessary to put their tenuous political house in order , by ironing out a coherent socio economic broad based policy”, to stop the poverty and endless crime in certain Northern regions of Trinidad. After all, they have been in power for some fifty years and counting.
Come on people, vote them back in, so that they can finish the job they started in 1956.
Cannot T-Man blame folks for buying in the old adage favored by my wonderful granny , as they’ve been there , and done that as it were.It goes as follows:-“If better can’t be done , let the worst continue.’ Stupid ,and defeatist, to you perhaps, but practical enough for those cognizant that they are again being given a 6 for a 9, after what they had to endure in 1986 , and 1995.
It’s one of the everlasting tragedy of an under achieving country as ours, my super sarcastic friend, that the government of the day as represented by the PNM, can become super arrogant, and neglectful to such a degree, due chiefly to the fact that the folks at the other side of the political isle, has continually failed to recognize their national duties, and responsibilities.
Promise me this however cousin T-Man, show a bit less concern about the Northern regions , but pay close attention to the Central, and Southern ones, that remained in the back pockets of a certain one time bare feet Princess Town Kid ,that emerged as a young sugar weigher ,two bit actor,lawyer,and Trade Union Leader , en route to being a top notch politician allegedly committed to serving ‘his people.’
In 86 ,and 1995 the electorate gave the mandate to him and fellow cohorts , but hansard would show how he destroyed that trust and confidence?
Show me a single piece of legislation or policy that was encouraged , and implemented by these characters ,that was aimed at alleviating the plight of poor ,desperate, citizens of this country, and I would sell you the CN Tower.
Is is coincidence that hard working Caroni workers were encouraged en massed ,by a certain spiritual head guru, to invest solely in the now discredited Hindu Credit Union ,all of their pensions, and savings , as opposed to others like the well managed Unit Trust , or similar operationally sound financial institution, only to see such fleeced away ,then to add insult to injuries ,have to listen to blame game ,finger pointing , figure heads ,and divisive , country hating self serving agents?
51 people died for the year thus far , including Rawtee Boodoo and her childen Aishwariah, five, and 15-month-old baby, Kathrina, but of course that would not incur the wrath of a T- Man , and other so called security , justice , equal rights , and phony economic enhancements yappers . Care to hazard a guess as to why this is the case, as we plot a course for our beloved country out of the seeming social quagmire that it is stuck in for the past 50 years -according to you -solely due to the implied failed leadership efforts of kinky head , big butts folks – the beneficiaries of a less noble cultural inheritance ?
Mr PM , and your party treasury department , please ensure that my check is in the mail , as I am working too hard on your behalf trying to clean up the mess , that your enemies are trying to exploit, while taking unnecessary blame left , right and center. In the mean time the folks that have directly benefited from your 40 year political foray , are quite like castrated mouses in places such as Texas , DC,Chickland, Sando ,and Las Lomas.
Nuff said!
Love country, over self.
I am trying to understand why the sad end to the lives of this obviously psychologically deranged and neglected woman and her family,”Rawtee Boodoo and her childen Aishwariah, five, and 15-month-old baby, Kathrina”,should incur the ” wrath of a T- Man”. Precisely what is the connection between this unfortunate event and the discussion in which I engaged above. There you go again, my friend, Neal, playing tennis with the issues.It’s back and forth, issue by issue. If Panday thief, let’s excuse Manning for thiefing.If the UNC was corrupt, let’s excuse the wanton corruption which we are now witnessing by the PNM.If attention is focussed on crime and murders in Laventille, let’s offset that with highlighting suicides and abuse of wives by Indian men in Central. When is this crap going to stop?
T&T is one nation, one country. The perennial tribal grandstanding has been going on forever, on every issue facing the nation.And it’s encouraged by people like Neal, who spend his time rationalizing the failures of his favorite PM and his chosen government. It is time to introduce some objectivity in this debate and stop clingling to the tribal loyalties which have dominated the souls and minds of too many Trinis.
And man you make ignorant assumptions, Neal. Why do you think that I woud assume that the failed leadership in T&T would be because of the ” efforts of kinky head , big butts folks – the beneficiaries of a less noble cultural inheritance ?” You must be suffering from some sort of inferiority complex to make such an uninformed statement.Those kinds of thoughts are furthest from my mind. My only interest is to critically engage in an analysis of the current leadership, without racial considerations.
So I see the political hierarchy of your ‘new aged agents of change party,’ is now heading cap in hand , or rather on bending knees to the people of Tobago to see if they would again lend a hand with their paltry two seats , so that victory can be assured,humm? Think they’ll be successful, and what 30 pieces of silver ,do they propose, short of long over due secession to these perennially neglected folks ,if Madame K should be victorious?
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=537
Has this man been living as a cast away immigrant in Canada for the past 24 years, as we were led to think , or sclerosis of the liver has eventually caught up with him ,and is affecting his feeble brain , after decades of alcohol abuse at the local rumshops on location in El Socorro, or Carapichima?
This , fast talking UNC comedian spokesman ,and obvious insensitive brute apparently just woke up from his mental slumber to recognize that “T&T is one nation, one country,”Say it often enough T-Man , and even you would start to believe it.
Is it possible that this character can even recognize the word objectivity ,if it came out of a Vat 19 Rum bottle and slap him in the face, when here he is attempting to impress us with cries for uplifting the discourse, as he accuse me of “rationalizing the failures of (my) favorite PM and ..chosen government?”
Yes we know your “only interest is to critically engage in an analysis of the current leadership.”It is why you dismissed the death of Ms. Rawtee Boodoo and her two young kids as the idle , foolish acts of an “obviously psychologically deranged and neglected woman,” without even awaiting the facts as to whether she did commit suicide as claimed , or perhaps some sort of foul play might have occurred in that unfortunate , ignored section of our country.
Here is my promise therefore folks, to make him happy. From henceforth, I would only cry crocodile tears when a millionaire Lange Park, -or similar pristine enclave- business executive gets kidnapped, and murdered. Better yet, I’ll only become outraged when the young child of two Lavantille Crack head parents that looked like the uncaring PM, getS murdered and raped , or the wife of a soldier that resembles the COP, tragically dies ,when she tried to drive her car into a high end Police Station compound ,in utter panic ,in efforts to perhaps escape low life ,illiterate , degenerate, thugs, prepared to rob, or do heavens knows what to her.
You know ,there was a time in our young history as a nation,when the idle boast of Dr. Eric William’s full education for all citizens until the age of 20 ,or when they finished standard s even ,was viewed as something worthwhile, and even adequate. Obviously , T-Man proved that to be wrong. For with logic like this, he would have been better served skipping school ,and continuing his ‘barefoot forays in the sugar and rice paddies,’ to eek out a living to help his struggling parents and other 25 siblings. I stand corrected , the man has been gratefully residing in Canada since 1986, but don’t ask me why since it did him absolutely no good if true.
He still remained an uncaring , insensitive, heartless , pseudo elitist , brute, that obviously , cannot appreciate what the more progressive and civilize understand, after years of global social exposure. It is , that as a caring nation and people, we must be our brothers keepers , and irrespective of race , color , class or creed if one individual hurts and suffers through neglect , all of us are affected , and must be concern then be prepared to do something , not only if it is expedient.Let’s hope that in time , him and others of similar ilk can recognize their social responsibility goes beyond changing government, and grasping for tenuous power. The struggling masses though simple and to him inconsequential folks, are coming to the recognition that biting snakes are lurking in the Balisier , and the symbolic Sun did not shine on all as promised by their leader, but only a privileged few . I wish you well in your endeavors my friend. Try and love self , others in need, and most importantly country.