By Raffique Shah
November 16, 2015
I address two issues of public importance today. First is the emerging controversy over this country’s attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting to be held in Malta next week. And second, I join the chorus of frustrated voices crying out for something to be done to curb the dangerous, deafening din of explosives and fireworks that have become intrinsic to festivals like Divali.
Continue reading Boors will be boors
New EFCL board unearths secret operation
By Darren Bahaw and Renuka Singh
November 14, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
A secret contract millhouse was discovered at the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) in Maraval, and armed guards have been called in to secure a mountain of potentially damning evidence which points to the illegal manufacturing of backdated tender documents worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The discovery was made one day after the new board of the state-owned company suspended its Chief Executive Officer Kiran Shah and Chief Operating Officer Sharma Maharaj over claims of impropriety.
Continue reading Workers caught back-dating deals
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 Stephen Kangal
November 06, 2015
The reason, inter alia, advanced by the Moonilal “Go Kamla” Team including that of Dr. Tim Gopeesingh for the defeat of the PP in the 2015 elections and hence the current lobbying for rejection of Kamla for re-election to the Political Leadership of the UNC, is that the unprecedented, untried and untested Presidential style campaign strategy engineered by Campaign Manager, Rodney Charles, that made Kamla 2015 the focal point and dominated the PP election campaign strategy was flawed and did not resonate with nor did the electorate buy into it. This convenient thesis goes against the dynamics of the elections, is far off the target and would give the stamp of objectivity/ issues-based politics underpinning the final tally.
Continue reading Was Kamla 2015 the Source and the Course for the Waterloo?
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 Anna Ramdass
October 26, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
On December 5, there are likely to be two major contenders for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) —Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Dr Roodal Moonilal.
Former prime minister Persad-Bissessar kicked off her re-election campaign last Saturday and faces internal heat as some of her colleagues and MPs are of the belief that she cannot lead the UNC to victory as she did in 2010.
Continue reading Kamla, Moonilal squaring off in UNC election
By Raffique Shah
October 19, 2015
If a mere ten percent of the sums of money quoted by almost every new PNM minister as having gone to waste or astray under the previous government is factual, then at least a billion dollars was squandered or stolen during the tenure of the People’s Partnership.
If the ministers were accurate and truthful in their allegations of profligacy, then an astounding ten billion dollars, at least, found its way into the bank accounts of assorted thieves and accomplices.
Continue reading Scale of squandermania mind-boggling
By Radhica Sookraj
October 14, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan is remaining tight-lipped about accusations he was profitting from civil lawsuits brought against the State because of flawed legislation passed by the People’s Partnership government.
The accusation was made during the budget debate on Monday by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in reference to the Children’s Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act.
Continue reading Anand getting $$ from flawed children law— AG
Guardian
October 14, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
Public Utilities Minister Ancil Antoine says the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is “burdened with massive debt and (is) financially strapped for funds.”
He said the state-owned utility company was currently operating with deficit is $1.6 billion and its receivables were $33.9 million.
Continue reading WASA now saddled with $1.6b deficit
By Raffique Shah
October 12, 2015
I switched on my television last Friday just in time to see and hear a stern-looking House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George say to former minister and current MP for Caroni Central Bhoe Tewarie, “You have three seconds to wrap up…starting now!”
I did a double-take, wondering if I hadn’t mistakenly tuned in to the Western channel rather than Parliament, some wild-west movie in which the “fastest” gunman in town gives an impossible ultimatum to his adversary.
Continue reading Up today, down tomorrow