Express Editorial
May 11, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
It is not enough for Finance Minister Larry Howai to say that he expects all of the $60 million stolen from the National Energy Corporation’s account at First Citizens to be recovered. What is needed is prosecution of those who stole the money and full accountability from officials of the two State enterprises who were entrusted with managing the $60 million in public funds.
Continue reading Questions about that $60m theft
By Michael Harris
May 11, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
The suspension from Parliament of the Leader of the Opposition by the UNC-led Government last week is a total abuse of power, a denigration of our Parliament and a threat to our democracy.
It is a total abuse of power because in the absence of any final report of the investigation into the e-mail affair from the police or the Integrity Commission the UNC Government went to the Parliament and, acting as investigator, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner all at the same time, used its majority first to censure the Leader of the Opposition and then to banish him from the Parliament for the rest of this term.
Continue reading A clear and present danger
By Raffique Shah
May 09, 2015
I seldom agree with pronouncements made by Basdeo Panday, such is my mistrust of a man I came to know before he became a big name in politics.
From early o’clock, meaning in 1973 when he was parachuted into leadership of the sugar workers union by the PNM (yes, you read right…check your history) to take up from where the other puppet, Bhadase Maharaj, had died leaving a vacuum, I recognised Panday for what he was—an opportunist posing as a pragmatist.
Continue reading Vengeance could strangle you
By Sheila Rampersad
May 08, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
When incumbent Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was an opposition MP, she read into the Hansard a letter written by People’s National Movement (PNM) councillor Dhansam Dhansook. The letter, addressed to then-Prime Minister Patrick Manning and read in Parliament by the Siparia MP on April 28, 2005, alleged Dhansook paid then-Energy Minister Eric Williams a $75,000 bribe and then-Works and Transport Minister, Franklin Khan, a $120,000 bribe. Dhansook further alleged he had received death threats in relation to the matter.
Continue reading Down a provocative path
By Clint Chan Tack
Thursday, May 7 2015 – newsday.co.tt
OPPOSITION Leader Dr Keith Rowley was last night suspended from the House of Representatives after Government used its simple majority to pass a motion to suspend him on the basis of claims he made with respect to the emailgate matter.
The motion was passed in the House at 9.15 pm, by a vote of 24 ‘for’ to one ‘against’, hours after Rowley and 11 other People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs walked out of the Parliament Chamber after debate began on a second motion of no confidence against him.
Continue reading Rowley suspended
By Asha Javeed
May 02, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad and Tobago has suffered a big blow to its status as the place to invest in the Caribbean after international agency Moody’s downgraded the country’s credit rating from stable to negative.
Moody’s on Thursday downgraded Trinidad and Tobago’s Government bond rating and issuer rating to from Baa1 to Baa2.
The ratings are used and considered by international investors looking to do business in T&T.
Moody’s justification for the downgrade, which happened on Thursday, are:
Continue reading T&T suffers big blow
Moody’s Investors Service, the credit rating agency that conducts international financial research on bonds issued by commercial and government entities on Thursday downgraded Trinidad and Tobago’s government bond rating, and issuer rating to Baa2 from Baa1 and changed the outlook to negative from stable.
According to Moody’s, the key drivers behind the downgrade are:
Continue reading Moody’s just downgraded T&T’s credit rating
Don’t Vote for Jowelle
Mrs. Jowelle De Souza, recipient of the Humming Bird Medal, Bronze
By Akilah Holder
April 30, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
Religious leaders are objecting to transsexual Jowelle de Souza’s bid to be elected to public office, saying her policies would seek to advocate the lifestyles of non-heterosexuals, which they see as immoral.
Continue reading Why Not Vote for Jowelle?
By Michael Harris
April 27, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
EXTRACT:
But there are more serious issues behind the promise of a causeway.
First of all while there is no question that the UNC did “tief” the PNM promise, we do have to ask ourselves why this particular promise. One answer has to do with what the Government is doing to the Chaguaramas peninsula. According to Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie, the Government’s plan is to “monetise” the peninsula.
Continue reading Behind the promise of a causeway
By Raffique Shah
April 26, 2015
Trust Trinidadians, or more accurately Trini-politicians, to engage in verbal battle over almost every issue—from the distribution of pampers to mothers of newborn babies to building a multi-billion-dollar causeway from Port of Spain to Chaguaramas.
Most people never heard the word “causeway” before Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar uttered it at a UNC rally in Fyzabad last week.
Continue reading Causeway a lost cause