By Renuka Singh
November 28, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
Fresh internal conflict is threatening to break the United National Congress (UNC) apart in the build up to internal elections. With just days to go before the party elects its leader, the mostly clean campaign has suddenly turned nasty as one would-be deputy leader was threatened for taking sides against incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Continue reading UNC wracked by internal strife
Vasant eyes UNC leadership
THE race for leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) yesterday turned into a three-way battle following a decision by former Trade and Industry Minister Vasant Bharath, to throw his hat into the ring and contest the post of political leader. The other two contenders are incumbent leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal.
By Feroze Hosein
November 08, 2015
Vasant Bharath has been said by quite some people to be a good contender for leadership of the United National Congress, but there are questions far too serious that could make him a non-starter if he enters the party’s internal electoral race.
Continue reading Vasant Bharath for leadership of the UNC
By Raffique Shah
November 02, 2015
Choosing a leader to take the United National Congress forward, backward, sideways, or keep it stagnated, is the business of members of the party.
It is not for me, who never belonged to any party other than the original United Labour Front, and that very briefly, to tell UNC members who they should elect as their leader, the way frontline members of the UNC openly lobbied for Penny Beckles over Keith Rowley during the internal elections in the People’s National Movement in May 2014.
Continue reading The party’s over
By Jamille Broome
September 06, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
Last week, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications decided to trample on the Constitutional rights of the non-voting section of the electorate, by saying: “I think as we mature as a society, we’ve got to take a more active part, otherwise, you are not in a position to complain subsequently or to demand anything.” Or, in colloquial terms, “vote or hush allyuh damn mouth!” Of course I’m not surprised by Vasant Bharath’s irreverent spiel because his party has been known to disregard the rule-of-law and violate human rights, left, right and centre. Cue Bail (amendment) Act, “Section 34”, and the State of Emergency .
Continue reading Defending my non-voting rights…
Newsday Editorial
January 23, 2012 – newsday.co.tt
There are bound to be questions and indeed raised eyebrows at the purchase of a luxury Porsche Cayenne SUV – with a showroom price tag of $925,000 – for the official use of Minister of Food Production, Vasant Bharath. Bharath defended the purchase by saying the actual price paid – after exemptions for taxes and duties – was about $400,000, which he said was comparable to the cost of other SUVs.
Continue reading Porsche questions
Newsday Editorial
May 2 2011 – newsday.co.tt
It is to be sincerely hoped that the Government will stand firm in the decision to put an end to the illegal occupation of State lands for whatever purpose.
This newspaper’s lead story yesterday gave another side, indeed food for thought, of the now highly publicised bulldozing of acres under food production in D’Abadie and other places which so incensed the public.
Continue reading Government must stand firm
By Raffique Shah
April 30, 2011
WHEN one sees the insensitivity—one might even say insanity—of persons who authorised and executed the destruction of food and root crops on three parcels of state land, one wonders what the hell is going on in this country. Successive governments, the incumbents included, have proclaimed their intent to make food production a priority. Yet, they have all committed agrarian atrocities, most times citing “progress” as an excuse. The price of progress is indeed very high.
Continue reading Agrarian Atrocity
Newsday Editorial
April 28 2011 – newsday.co.tt
Authorities 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.
Continue reading Tragic waste
By Burton Sankeralli
April 26, 2011
Pineapple… 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.
Continue reading Day of Destruction
‘Stop the many housing projects’
By Adrian Boodan
June 04, 2010 – guardian.co.tt
Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath wants all lands that were under the control of Caroni (1975) Ltd to be returned to his ministry. Bharath was speaking with the media, during a visit to farmers in Cunupia yesterday. Bharath said when the PNM administration shut down state-owned sugar producer, the lands were handed to the Ministry of Finance for disposal. He said he wanted to see the stopping of all housing developments started by the former government on these lands.
Continue reading Bharath: Use Caroni lands to grow food