Tag Archives: T&T Govt

Crime in T&T, PNM, Politics

Hubris goes before the fall

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 12, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIt was November 2016; the PNM had just won an election, and it was riding high. At a conference hosted by the Government and the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Colm Imbert explained why he had raised the price of fuel. He boasted: “I increased the price of fuel by 15% and then realised that was not enough. I came back again in April and raised it by another 15% and I came back again just a few weeks ago and raised it by another 15%. They haven’t rioted yet.” (Loop News, November 9, 2016.)
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

The ultimate barbarian

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 05, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIt may seem an exaggeration, but the Leader of Our Grief is the most obnoxious leader we have had in our 62 years of independent rule. He has revealed himself as an unsophisticated bully who is unaware of his social and political responsibilities to the nation.

His latest display of incivility was wrapped up in a perfumed package of royal pomp and circumstance. He boasted that after having had dinner with King Charles III, Mia Mottley of Barbados, King Mswati of Eswatini, and President Irfaan Ali of Guyana he discovered that the UNC and its leaders had criticised the person he had selected to turn our economy around. He called his critics “the most destructive, unpatriotic louts among us”.
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Gender, General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics

Language matters

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 23, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeTwo weeks ago, I responded to Nigel Seenathsingh’s letter that appeared in the Express. I wrote: “When I warned…about the dangers inherent in the Leader of Our Grief’s statements about women, I was not trying to demonise him or Stuart Young. I was only alerting my readers to be on guard about the violence against women [I emphasised women] that exists in our society and the role that language plays in this regard.”
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General T&T, Politics

The leader’s schizophrenic behaviour

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 16, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAfter the People’s National Movement came into power in 1956, Eric Williams took an inordinate length of time (sometimes as much as three hours) to deliver his budget speeches. He used them to reach his fellow citizens since the means of communication were not as widely available as they are today. It was also a way to expand the democratic process.

Today we live in an era of Facebook and TikTok. It is anachronistic for a minister of finance to spend five hours delivering a budget speech. It reflects an attitude of someone living in the past.
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General T&T

On being relevant

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 01, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn Republic Day, letter writer Nigel Seenathsingh scolded me for “attacking” his leaders.

On that same day the Express published a full-page story about a PNM senator in a domestic violence matter.

The Express editorialised the following day: “Given the lead story in yesterday’s Express about a protection order placed by the court against Government Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, and not pronouncing on either innocence or guilt, it is assumed that domestic violence against both men and women will be a part of the discussion” at the AG’s consultation on domestic violence.
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Agriculture, Food, General T&T

Rowley’s ‘sexy’ agriculture

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By Raffique Shah
October 01, 2024

Raffique ShahSome day last week, several of my one-time associates and long-time friends managed to breach the hurdles TSTT has implanted on my ancient landline to isolate me from what passes for civilisation today. They called to ask if I heard Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley crowing like a “fowl-cock” when he rolled out a new programme his Government was about to embark on, one tag-line proclaiming: “Making agriculture sexy!”
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General T&T, PNM, Politics

Time for PNM members to speak up

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 25, 2024

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThere he was, resplendent amidst the splendour of the PNM Women’s League as he asked their members to get ready for the 2025 election. Acting as the titular head of the party in the absence of the Leader of Our Grief and in the presence of his “political Mother” (Camille Robinson-Regis), he signified his desire to achieve his next career objective: the leader of the storied People’s National Movement.

In his elation, he didn’t tell these women what to expect from a reincarnated party under his leadership. Nor, for that matter, did he tell them how he hopes to reverse the downward slide of the nation. A protégé of his leader, crafted in his style and embodying his essence, Young was a parody of the man he was hoping to replace.
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General T&T, Health

When madness is not gladness

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By Raffique Shah
September 25, 2024

Raffique ShahOnce upon a time not so very long ago, Trinidad and Tobago had a handful of older citizens, alive, if not kicking. Many were reclusive, perhaps eccentric. So it seemed, anyway. Mostly they would stay by themselves, hardly mix even with others of similar age. And, since it seemed difficult to get a word out of them, far less the mangoes from the trees in their yards, one would just steer clear of them.
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Culture, General T&T

Pan and T&T’s coat of arms

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 18, 2024

PART II

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIn 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago went into business as a nation, it formed a committee “to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago”. It produced our coat of arms.

Those representative symbols consisted of a palm tree at the top that was taken from Tobago’s coat of arms (Tobago was annexed to Trinidad in 1889), three gold ships that Columbus is reputed to have used when he visited (or saw the island in 1498), two hummingbirds (Trinidad was sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Hummingbird”), and its motto, “Together we aspire, Together we achieve.”
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General T&T, Politics, UNC

Ignore my advice, MP Paray

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By Raffique Shah
September 18, 2024

Raffique ShahTo listen to MP Rushton Paray tell his story, citizens who have lived through 15 years or more of political machinations will be excused for making out that he believes the hogwash he is spouting.

More than that, he appears to believe we will be convinced his is a political drama unparalleled in the history of the nation. Somebody or bodies should save Mr Paray from making an ox of himself.
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