By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
August 20, 2013
One of the most laughable and incredulous moments in Trinidad and Tobago’s political history was the public yellow balloon, albeit ploy, by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that certain “councillors” at a national executive meeting of the United National Congress (UNC) urged her to postpone constitutionally-scheduled local government elections.
Continue reading One Laughable Political Moment
By Raffique Shah
August 10, 2013
I sense a wave of panic among leaders and frontline members of both the PNM and the UNC/COP Partnership. With Jack Warner on a roll following his by-election victory, and the UNC losing senior members like Lyndira Oudit to the newly formed ILP, a meeting of what can be best described as the ruling party’s general council pleaded with the Prime Minister to postpone local government elections for fear of another routing at the polls.
Continue reading Politicians panic
By Raffique Shah
August 04, 2013
There is no tectonic shift in voting patterns coming out of the Chaguanas West by-election last Monday, as some politicians and political analysts posit.
What happened was simply this: the constituents, who are predominantly Indians and supporters of the UNC, used the ballot to tell the party’s leadership that it could not foist any “crapaud” on them. They wanted Jack Warner to represent them, and they were prepared to defy the party’s directives to make their point.
Continue reading Jack’s shelf life
By Andre Bagoo
Tuesday, July 30 2013 – newsday.co.tt
JACK WARNER, 70, has been re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, after provisional results from the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) last night projected him as the winner of the bye-election. It was a crushing victory.
Up until press time, Warner provisionally received 12,631 votes while the United National Congress’s (UNC) Khadijah Ameen, 32 – his nearest rival – received less than half that amount or 5,126 votes.
Continue reading JACK WINS
By Raffique Shah
July 28, 2013
The tragedy of tomorrow’s by-election in Chaguanas West is that all of us—politicians, commentators, journalists, publicists and people—treated the exercise, more so the campaign, as a big joke, a comedy festival of sorts. In other words, we have all helped to perpetuate the unholy mess that passes for politics in a country where buffoonery triumphs over rationale, in a land where crapaud is king – or queen.
Continue reading Buffoonery reigns
By Raffique Shah
July 13, 2013
IN THE euphoria of the People’s Partnership resounding elections victory on the night of May 24, 2010, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in her acceptance speech, identified only one member of the UNC executive for praise: Jack Warner. Before mentioning Warner by name, she had thanked only God and the people who voted the Partnership.
Let me quote the PM (from the written text): “Tonight I want to thank the chairman of the UNC Jack Warner…Jack Warner, thank you!”
Continue reading It’s time to pay the Devil
Newsday Editorial
Wednesday, July 3 2013
JUST a week before Nomination Day for the Chaguanas West bye-election, on Monday the gloves came off between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and former MP Jack Warner.
Continue reading Battle-lines drawn
By Raffique Shah
June 30, 2013
AS I watched the political circuses perform in their big tents over the past few weeks, their patrons seemingly satisfied with the acts and acrobatics on offer, my mind turned to the adage, Vox populi, Vox Dei (The voice of the people (is) the voice of God). I sat in my chair and wondered about the wisdom—or folly—of this proverb that scoundrels through the ages have used to invoke divine blessings for their dastardly acts, based solely on the fact that the people supported them.
Continue reading Voice of reason way superior
By Raffique Shah
June 08, 2013
THE DILEMMA I face every week writing a column must be no different to what my colleagues in all the print media do: what can I write about that’s reflective of good things happening in the country? Surely, there must be positives in the society, nation-building initiatives, achievements by citizens that are worthy of public praise.
Continue reading All the Queen’s donkeys
Plot to cover up section 34
By Gail Alexander
May 21, 2013 – guardian.co.tt
Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley wants the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Integrity Commission to probe e-mails purportedly bearing the names of frontline government officials who allegedly wanted to tap the DPP’s phone after the Section 34 furore. Rowley also claimed the e-mails revealed moves to shift the DPP to the judiciary and further discussed intended intimidation of a T&T Guardian reporter who broke the Section 34 story last September.
Continue reading Rowley: Plot to cover up section 34