By Raffique Shah
April 11, 2010
FIRST, let’s cut the bull over Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s reasons for calling a mid-term general election. The United National Congress (UNC) motion of no-confidence in the PM, which he cited as one reason, was doomed to fail-unless he feared his own members voting against him. There was no cause for concern or unpleasant surprises.
Continue reading Manning’s election gambit
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.
Continue reading PM: I feel vindicated
Did PM move to pre-empt no-confidence motion?
Midnight dissolution of Parliament clears way for General Election
So When’s Election
BUCKLING under mounting pressure against his administration, Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday advised President George Maxwell Richards to dissolve the ninth Parliament, one day before an Opposition motion of no-confidence was scheduled to be debated in Parliament.
Continue reading Parliament dissolved: When is Election?
The news release from the Office of the prime minister, issued today, states:
In accordance with Section 68 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago today advised His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards to dissolve the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with effect from midnight, Thursday, April 8, 2010.
His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards has issued the relevant Proclamation.
Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Parliament to be dissolved at midnight
If, according to AG John Jeremie, Prime Minister Patrick Manning stands vindicated by the Uff Report for his pursuit of the $10 million discrepancy on the Cleaver Heights housing project, by the same logic the Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet must be criminally negligent in failing to prevent the pillage of hundreds of millions of dollars on several construction projects undertaken by Udecott. Sadly, the Attorney General’s statement in the Parliament on Tuesday in laying the Uff Report only illustrated the deep bias held by the Government in the matters probed in the Uff enquiry.
Continue reading AG exposes deep Govt bias
By George Alleyne
April 07, 2010 – newsday.co.tt
Two things are clear. Political Leader of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), Prime Minister Patrick Manning, must step down and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) are still light years away from any meaningful approach to political unity.
Continue reading Manning should step down
The Government is giving itself two weeks to reconstitute the board of directors of State-owned Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott). Well-placed sources made this revelation last night, after the Government sacked the four remaining members of the old Calder Hart-led board.
AG to UDeCOTT board: You’re fired
In a statement to the Senate yesterday, Attorney General John Jeremie announced that there would be a ‘reconstituted’ UDeCOTT board-save for its recently appointed chairman Jearlean John- and thanked the outgoing members for their services.
Continue reading UDeCOTT board fired
BREAKING NEWS: Government Fires UDeCoTT Board
Developing…
UFF: Public purse was at risk
The UDeCoTT board was guilty of a “dereliction of duty” and “knowingly exposed the public purse to a grave risk” by failing to question the award of a $368 million contract to CH Development/Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited for the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower…
Send UDeCoTT board packing
The report submitted by Prof John Uff does not reflect well on the Government and is especially damning to the Prime Minister’s darling company, the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCoTT).
Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Government Fires UDeCoTT Board
April 04 2010 – newsday.co.tt
IN HIS Report submitted to President George Maxwell Richards last week, the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott Professor John Uff QC, has recommended that the police probe former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart as well as the entire Udecott board in relation to the award of the $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs tower contract and the $885 million Brian Lara stadium project at Tarouba, Sunday Newsday can reveal.
Continue reading Police Probe Of Hart, Udecott
By Raffique Shah
April 04, 2010
THE past two weekends were rather unusual ones. Easter weekend started off last Thursday with Holy Thursday, which was also April Fools’ Day. On Good Friday, while practising Christians solemnly commemorated Christ’s crucifixion, many citizens were beating up on ‘bobolees’.
Continue reading Can they count?