By Invera Arjoon
January 07, 2010 – newsday.co.tt
THE applications of 16,000 persons for membership to the United National Congress (UNC) will not be approved in time for the January 24 internal elections of the party, chairman of the party’s Membership Committee Kelvin Ramnath said yesterday.
Continue reading UNC Blanks 16,000 Members
By Raffique Shah
January 03, 2010
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
Should political turmoil erupt in 2010, it wouldn’t be because of the Property Tax or government’s now toned-down spending spree. The opposition, united or divided, cannot trigger mass action, the kind we experienced in 1970. If anything, it’s the extreme insensitivity of uncaring ministers-Peter Taylor’s ‘living off the fat of the land’, Gaynor Dick-Forde’s ‘only 12 people against the tax’, Neil Parsanlal’s Goebbels-like, weekly media-bashing-that would send angry masses streaming onto the streets.
Continue reading Firestorm is a-coming
By Raffique Shah
December 20, 2009
trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
As a Christmas gift to my colleague of many, many moons ago, I am backing Basdeo Panday for leadership of the UNC in the upcoming party elections. I have taken this decision, not after long and hard examination of the issues at stake, or any analysis of the future of UNC, but purely because Bas is a man. And this country of warped minds where people are whimsical in their outlooks, man must back man.
Continue reading Backing Bas …or Ramesh
By Tony Fraser
December 16, 2009
Ramesh Maharaj is correct in saying that the outcome of the January internal elections of the United National Congress (UNC) will determine the future political prospects of the party. Indeed, to take that projection further along the road of rep-resentative politics, the out come will also determine the short-term political landscape of T&T. It is clear that if the UNC membership returns Basdeo Panday as its political leader, the party will be doomed to opposition. Moreover the UNC, as now configured, is sure to receive an ever-declining share of the number of votes and seats in the local and general elections up ahead.
Continue reading Making the right choice for party and country
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, July 12th 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com
EVEN as this column appears in print today, there is a “unity rally” being held at Skinner Park in San Fernando. Its promoters have invited people of every political persuasion, even those who do not belong to any party, to attend. The rally, they say, is intended to send a strong message to the Patrick Manning Government that people are fed up with its high-handed form of governance.
Continue reading Dawn of a new era