Position Statements

Murders unlimited

Jun 15, 2009

A staggering 8 murders in 24 hours in Trinidad and Tobago.

Rising Crime

Jun 05, 2009

At the Post Cabinet media briefing of Thursday 22nd January 2009, Minister of National Security Martin Joseph gave the national community the assurance that the "totally unacceptable record number of homicides which occurred in 2008 would not be repeated this year". He was no doubt echoing the sentiment of the Cabinet chaired by the Chairman of the National Security Council who is also the Prime Minister.

 

There are of course many ways of interpreting what the Minister meant on 22nd January. By "totally unacceptable", he could have meant that the figure was either too high or too low and by saying "the figure would not be repeated this year", he could simply have been saying that the figure would be different (higher or lower it would not matter). 

 

One thing I have learnt in law and politics is that one should never take the spoken or written word at face value, especially from Members of Parliament. Words and their meanings should always be analysed. 

 

Having said that, I would not have been surprised if most, if not all of Trinidad and Tobago had adopted the interpretation that crime levels were too high and that the Minister would do all that he could to bring it down. That in my view would have been a very reasonable interpretation to make. However, faced with the reality of today one would no doubt now have to question the validity of that interpretation.

 

To 4th June 2009, there have been thirty (30) more homicides than there were in 2008 yet the Minister and his boss seem very comfortable in their positions. They treat each other as people who are succeeding and accomplishing not only their agenda but the entire Cabinet's agenda as well.

 

Surely, if the goal was to reduce the levels of crime in Trinidad and Tobago, the Minister and his boss, after the first five months of 2009, would have received clear F- grades for their efforts or lack thereof and should have been asked to resign. If ever conflict of interest was a legitimate reason to resign from the Cabinet, it is the clear conflict of interest between these people’s capabilities to reduce crime and the national outcry for a safer nation.

 

Garvin Nicholas

The Magistracy

May 29, 2009

I am truly amazed and in some ways saddened by the reaction of certain segments of the society to Justice John's comments on the issue of extraordinary sentencing and strange decision making practices by some magistrates as if to suggest that Justice John is in the wrong. As someone interested in equal justice for all, I cannot stay silent on this issue, even if speaking out against the status quo means acting to my detriment.

The matters specifically cited by Justice John were truly appalling.

In one instance a sentence of three years in jail was handed down to a 21 year old first time offender who pleaded guilty to the possession of 35 grammes of marijuana. The Court of Appeal substituted this sentence with a fine of $500 or seven days in jail. Imagine passing a sentence of 36 months in jail with hard labour when a fine of $500 would be more appropriate in the circumstances.

In another instance, a sentence of 12 months in jail with hard labour and disqualification of him from having a driver’s permit for three years was handed down to someone who had pleaded guilty to driving without a permit and insurance on May 12, 2008. The Court of Appeal substituted that sentence with a fine of $500 for not producing a driver’s permit, and $2,000 for not having insurance. The man was also disqualified from holding a driver’s permit for one year.

The disparities in sentences are extremely significant, especially in light of the untold damage that takes place in our nation’s prisons.

On the one hand two people's lives could have been completely ruined. The frustration brought about could have very possibly led to a downward spiral into lives of crime as with so many others. On the other hand, these men now have the opportunity to hopefully learn from their experience and continue their positive development.

The segments of the society that have come out against Justice John's comments seem to ignore this very significant fact.

I must say without hesitation that there are very good magistrates in the system, recently I was before a magistrate who went out of his way to ensure that the truth was found and that justice was done in circumstances where the police officer was lying to the court and it would have been easy to dismiss the claims of the defendant. Unfortunately, there are those magistrates who operate like tin gods and treat human life as some kind of disposable commodity which has in my view contributed in no small way to the frustration felt by the disenfranchised in the society and this must be addressed and corrected.

To pretend that we are without fault is the one sure way of ensuring that we will continue to be faulty.

Justice John's observations were spot on. Harsh, but spot on and I hope that those learned and respected institutions that have come out in condemnation of his comments will reflect on the reality and do what they can to correct it.

Justice must be done and seen to be done for the poor as well as the wealthy and powerful.

Garvin Nicholas

Sentencing Guidelines Needed

May 27, 2009

There is an urgent need for the introduction of Sentencing Guidelines for the Magistrates' Courts of Trinidad and Tobago.

Sentencing Guidelines would set out clearly the sanctions or range of sanctions that every offender can expect for his particular crime and circumstances whether for guilty pleas or findings of guilt after full trial.

Such guidelines would give the Magistrates' Courts, where some 90% of all matters are determined, a level of certainty not now enjoyed. Guidelines would also give attorneys the ability to more accurately advise their clients as to possible outcomes and may even encourage a culture of pleading guilty where there is a clear discount for not wasting the Courts' time.

Whilst there are many sober minded Magistrates presiding in the Magistrates' Courts, there are still too many instances of arbitrary sentencing being handed down to offenders that bring a feeling of uncertainty and discrimination to the nation's Courts.

In recent Court of Appeal judgements reported in the media, "Justice Stanley John strongly criticised Tunapuna magistrates Anna Ryan and Jo-Anne Connor for handing down excessive and unsafe convictions and sentences and told them to resign as he felt they did not understand the country’s laws."

"Justice John found the decisions of Ryan in the cases of Andy Caffie and Nandram Gosain for minor offences to be excessive and he varied their sentences. Caffie was on a marijuana possession charge while Gosain was in court for a traffic offence."

"John also overturned the conviction of Shawn Duncan on a drug possession charge, a case which Connor presided over."

Sentencing Guidelines would significantly reduce these instances from occurring in the future. Time lost by unfair sentencing can never be recovered.

Maraval Meeting

May 13, 2009

 

Garvin Edward T. Nicholas

Speech at Adam’s Bagels

12^th May 2009

Good evening - Diego Martin North East, Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin West, Trinidad and Tobago.

A special good evening to my colleagues at the head table and to the members of the press here to cover this meeting.

I am here this evening not to wallow in the morass that we find ourselves in as a nation today, but, to offer an alternative to the constitutional crisis we find ourselves in and to RE-ASSURE you that all is not lost.

I know, that when we look around, and we see this government giving away our patrimony via the untouchable Hart of Udecott; when we read of the almost 200 murders committed for the year to date (representing somebody’s daughter, son, mother, sister, brother or father); when we witness the failed billion dollar summit and a mamaguy signing ceremony; a Prime Minister who rules not for his people but by his ego and for his small clique of friends whilst seeking more power to control the lives and institutions of all he surveys; the crumbling institutions of the State; Ministers without moral fibre governing over our finances propped up by this Prime Minister; a tainted police service out of control; the degradation and threatened total destruction of our once treasured environment; and a government and a large segment of a nation driven by victimization, greed, racism, selfishness, hypocrisy, corruption and inhumanity …. I know it may be difficult to be HOPEFUL.

It may also be difficult to be HOPEFUL when your government after earning the most money in history, also borrows the most money in history.

Especially, when the borrowing is NOT to build schools, hospitals or playgrounds BUT to build a chemical plant we don’t want, on a site we want to preserve. When, the contract to build it is given to the country lending the money and we are mandated that the key labour comes from that country. When, we sell natural gas to the owners of the plant at a loss to us and on top of that we give them tax exemption for about 20 years whilst repaying the loan with interest using tax payers’ money.

It may be even more difficult to be HOPEFUL when we reflect on what has happened over the last week with the integrity commission and the behaviour of the President. Who, has in my view discredited not only the nation’s highest office, but also the University of the West Indies. By, allegedly mis-leading Justice Hosein, by allegedly brushing off the plagiarism confessions of Fr. Henry Charles, by appointing Mr. McFarlane who was ineligible to serve not only legally but morally in my view, and by maintaining a position of silence on these issues almost a week since the first resignation.

If the claims of Fr. Charles are accurate, then President Max Richards has dismissed plagiarism as something that “happens” among academics. This is particularly disturbing. After all, this President is a former UWI Principal.

Then there is the moral question. How could Mr. McFarlane have ever been considered as a candidate, when he is such a close associate of one of the most controversial figures when it comes to matters of integrity in Trinidad and Tobago?

And to top it off the President shows continued contempt for the nation by refusing to comment on this national debacle.

I must tell you that I am not surprised, given the recent behaviour of the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister.

BUT I BELIEVE WE CAN STILL BE HOPEFUL, WE MUST!

WE CAN because faced with all that I have described, WE still have the power to change the direction in which our society goes.

 

 “I believe however that we need to dream a great dream.”

Governance

In have started this dream and it, I see a Head of State that is none partisan, elected not by a simple majority in the Parliament BUT by a special majority, ensuring that he or she has the mandate to serve not the Prime Minister’s interest BUT the interest of the people.

I see, a Prime Minister with less power NOT more …. and in turn I see the people rising.

I see a Prime Minister limited to two terms of service. Elected by a process of proportional representation so as to make the vote of each individual really count.

Where members of Parliament are subjected to the power of recall when they play the fool.

I see the Chief Justice, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Solicitor General, and all Commissions and Commissioners being elected by special Parliamentary majorities after being scrutinized by the Parliament …. so as to de-politicize these offices and restore public confidence in them.

In this dream, there are stronger parliamentary institutions monitoring the workings of government and preventing the comedy show that we are subjected to on a weekly basis. 

Local Government

I see a strong local government brought about by genuine decentralization and devolution of power.

Where CEPEP, URP and the special purpose companies which have been set up to subvert tendering procedures and emasculate local government by politicizing labour are closed down AND INSTEAD I see local government  taking control of the cities, boroughs and regions they serve, ensuring the prompt and efficient delivery of services to the people they serve, by a large cadre of people with permanent jobs who are entitled to humane benefits that include vacation, maternity and pensions.

I see the decentralization of services that provide meaningful jobs to people in every city, borough and region where there is no longer any need to converge unto the cities every morning with the accompanying traffic problems.

I see the billions planned for the racket rail diverted to local government to enable it to provide the necessary infrastructure to communities by allowing it to issue substantial development contracts to community based companies and so spreading the wealth from the ground up.

I see local government being able to provide proper recreational facilities in every city, borough and region. And, complementing this development by providing organized sporting programmes to develop and harness the talents and abilities of our children.

I see a re-building of our communities where our children are protected and provided with a safe environment to enjoy their childhood.

Most of all, I us winning the battle over the gang culture that now threatens the lives of our children.

Education

More than 2 years ago, the government promised to provide 80 new pre-schools per year to ensure that there would have been 400 new pre-schools by 2012. To date just a fraction of the quota for 1 year has been fulfilled.

This is so even though many studies have shown that exposure to pre-school education puts children at an advantage. And, maintaining the status quo, ensures that the poor will always have a steeper hill to climb.

In this dream of a decentralized existence, I see high quality pre-schools, primary and secondary schools available to every child in every nook and cranny throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

This is to ensure real equality of opportunity.

I see the children in our nation enjoying their childhood once again.

I see children able to go to school and recreate where they live, not being forced to endure hours of traffic on a daily basis.

Healthcare

In my dream our healthcare system is people oriented and community based built around local healthcare professionals who are well trained and well respected.

The vulnerable have timely access to drugs that work.

Patients have beds and linens to lay down on.

And, importantly, leaders are so confident in the health system that they receive their personal healthcare right here instead of having to go abroad to a nation starved by 50 years of embargo to get superior healthcare. 

Judicial System and Magistracy

I see a nation no longer gripped by fear, because the crime issue has been addressed by a competent Minister of National Security; proper policing; the widespread use of forensic science and the crack down on the illegal drug trade.

I also see a judicial system that functions in the interest of justice and the people it is meant to serve.

Where trials are speedily dealt with, where preliminary inquiries are removed as a waste of time and money, where matters in the Magistrates’ Court are prosecuted by qualified attorneys, where clear sentencing guidelines are set out for certainty in the system.

And, we surely we must all see a prison system where the focus is not only on punishment, but on rehabilitation. To ensure that when people have served their sentence they can re-enter society and contribute positively INSTEAD of guaranteeing repeat offenders because of the further criminalization of citizens who have done some wrong.

The Environment

Human beings in Trinidad and Tobago have average life spans of 70-75 years, some happily live much longer, but whatever the life span granted to us, we owe a duty to those who come after us. It is our sacred duty to use only what we need and to protect the rest for the generations that will follow.

Instead, many of us have become very greedy and very selfish. We destroy the environment that has taken hundreds of thousands of years to develop, an environment that provides us with fresh water, nourishing provision, fresh fish and fresh air to breathe, to make a quick buck for a few of this generation without thought for who comes next.

It is time we govern not just for today but for tomorrow as well.

The Philosophy

There is much more to this dream and we will continue it on another occasion.

Already, some may say that the dream is too great, to complex, to difficult to achieve.

As someone before me has said, (and I do not want to be accused of plagiarism) …. “Before your dreams can come through, you must first have a dream.”

This government tries to fill us all with apathy, they want us to stop dreaming, to stop believing in a better society.

BUT my philosophy is different. I encourage you to dream lofty dreams, for (as someone else has said) “As you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.”

It is important to NOTE that for any dream to be realized we need to work at it.

We need to have the courage to set the example.

Change does not come about by words alone but by deeds.

We cannot therefore preach democracy and cuss people for the choices they make when we don’t agree with them.

We cannot preach harmony and then find all kinds of reasons to discriminate against others.

We cannot preach integrity and choose corruption when it suits us, or when no one is looking.

To embrace change, we too must change.

Let our actions be our words.

Let us show respect to gain it.

Let us show trust so that we can be trusted.

Let us show love so that we can be deserving of governance, now more than ever we need to be nurturers ….

This nation is consumed by the politics of hate …. that, needs to reversed.

If you love the other guys and their parties …. Continue to love them …. I Just ask that love yourself and your children more.

I don’t hate my political opponents, I dislike their policies and the effect these policies have on ordinary citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

If you share the dream articulated here this evening …. I encourage you to go share it with all that you meet.

Let the dream become infectious so that it consumes all of Trinidad and Tobago …. and, remember that the things that bind us together, are far greater than those that pull us apart.

Good night.

President Max Richards must resign now

May 07, 2009

 

We reach

Apr 28, 2009

Schoolboy murdered

Ruby Baptiste, 76, spoke excitedly about the birthday party she was planning for her 12-year-old great-grandson, Adrian Richards. But as she sat on a chair in the waiting room of the Forensic Science Centre in St James awaiting autopsy results yesterday, Baptiste’s smile faded, her voice cracking as she made funeral arrangements. Police believe a “hit” was placed on Richards because he accidentally burnt the hair of a sister of a Laventille gang member.

Richards, who would have turned 13 on Thursday, was shot at least 15 times as he made his way to his home at Williams Street, Laventille, around 9 pm Sunday, Baptiste said, but police said Richards was shot five times. The boy, fondly referred to as Drummer Boy in his community because of his love for playing drums, was ambushed by a gunman who waited on a wall close to his home.

Besson Street Police said they had intensified their search for a 32-year-old suspect. Investigators have ruled out the possibility of Richards being involved in a gang. They said Adrian, who was with a friend at the time of the incident, ran into a nearby house seeking refuge. But as Adrian stumbled and fell on a couch, the gunman sprayed bullets into his trembling body.

Hunt for gang member

Richards, who attended the Morvant/Laventille Secondary School accidentally burnt a girl’s hair while at school, according to his great-grand mother. “His mother went to the school and Adrian admitted it was a mistake and he was sorry. “He said he found a cigarette lighter and told his friends, ‘Look and see what I will do with her,’” Baptiste said.

But instead of accepting the apology the girl made death threats. “She said she was going to send her brother to ‘do for him,’” Baptiste said. Describing her great-grand son as childish, Baptiste said Richards was “just playing” with the lighter. “He meant no harm. He found the lighter on the school’s premises and he decided to flick it to see if it would light,” Baptiste said.

But there was also another person who may have wanted Richards dead. Baptiste claimed a 17-year-old boy in the neighbourhood was constantly harassing Richards and threatened to “do for him”. “We reach the point where we were trying to get Adrian out of the school because the boy pay somebody in the school to beat up Adrian. “We went to the police, we went to the community police but nothing was done,” Baptiste claimed.

Safe in the Lord

Richards, a member of the drumming group Mawasi Experience, was killed after spending his final moments at a Penal church. This has brought comfort to Baptiste who was convinced her great-grandson was “safe in the Lord.” She said, “Adrian died in the Lord and that comforts me.

It’s very painful, but I am glad he got a chance to be in the Lord’s house before he was murdered.” On Thursday, there were plans for sharing cake and good food with family, friends and neighbours. But that celebration will now be replaced with a funeral, Baptiste said.

The Cost of the Summit

Mar 30, 2009

Condolences

Mar 21, 2009

No plan for Tourism

Feb 27, 2009

Having watched and listened to the Tourism Minister, the Hon. Mr. Ross, on the CNC3 morning programme this morning, I can safely say that tourism is without a plan.

 

Minister Ross has failed at the starting point. He has no idea what the value of Carnival is to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago (hotels, travel, taxi drivers, vendors, mass bands, etc.). As Minister of Tourism for over a year, the Minister should be in a position to tell the nation what the value of the biggest tourism event in Trinidad and Tobago is. How else can it be evaluated as viable or not? How else can he assess if it requires development or not? Maybe it is a drain on national resources, who knows?

 

As energy revenues become less reliable, tourism must be viewed as a sector for serious and sustainable development. The Minister stated that in addition to Carnival, the government is looking at conference tourism, eco tourism and cultural tourism as areas for development.

 

The Prime Minister stated in Parliament recently that the investment in "Summit Hosting" will yield increases in conference tourism. I am certain that the Tourism Minister cannot say what the value of conference tourism is at present and therefore what the projected increase is to be. Everything seems a bit willy nilly. What we do know is that we are spending over $500 million to market this new sector of conference tourism in addition to the billions that were spent on facilities. Interestingly the main benefactor to conference tourism is likely to be the Hyatt International, an organisation not owned by citizens of Trinidad and Tobago but already the beneficiary of a sweetheart management deal courtesy Udecott.

 

The Minister may not even be able to tell us how much we are spending to market Carnival (from his interview it would seem to be almost nothing) and he definitely cannot tell us what the projected increase in benefit is likely to be because he cannot now quantify or know what the present benefit is.    

 

Cultural tourism is another non-starter. Calypso is not being sustained in any significant way nor are any of the other diverse cultural expressions of this nation.

 

It can hardly be seen how cruise ship tourism can continue to be viable when the most visible tourism sights are the vagrants, the filth on the POS streets and the national crime rate.

 

The time has come for us to get serious and for the Minister to develop a proper plan for tourism before his next interview on television.

Martin must surely go now

Feb 20, 2009

There can no longer be any justification for Senator Martin Joseph to continue in his role as National Security Minister. He must go now!

 

At the beginning of 2009, Minister Joseph stated with emphatic authority that 2009 will see a significant decrease in the murder rate. On Thursday 19th February, it was revealed that there have been 90 murders for the year to date, 35 more than the same period in record breaking 2008 and 52 more than the same period in 2007. This is a drastic year on year increase of over 60%. At the present rate we could expect a final murder figure for 2009 in the vicinity of 875.    

 

The Minister is now saying that he has no confidence in the Police Service and is calling on citizens to help. Does he expect people to take up arms and become vigilantes as some businessmen are doing? Does he not understand the fear that grips citizens today?

 

After spending many billions over the last 5 years for which he has been the National Security Minister, he now reveals that drugs and guns are flowing into Trinidad and Tobago at an unprecedented rate.

 

The MND has to ask, “What has the Minister really been doing over the last 5 years?” 

 

Under his stewardship this nation has descended far and fast into a haven for criminal elements and we as citizens have witnessed unprecedented insecurity. Murders are as regular as bowel movements rich in fibre and drugs and guns flow through in a similarly uninhibited manner.

 

Neither the use of the nation's radar system that is able to detect the coming and going of all vessels nor the blimp nor the helicopters that patrol the sky nor any of the other highly sophisticated equipment that is available for crime fighting including monitoring citizens' phone calls and emails, seem to be enough for this Minister and his team.

 

The Minister comes back to the mantra of fast boats and gun ships as the answer. This is no more than a promise of delayed gratification and the justification for wild spending for a nation needing security now.

 

Dealing with the problem becomes more difficult everyday it is not dealt with properly BUT it is not insurmountable at this time.

 

The nation cannot afford the continued incompetence of this Minister, we need action now!

Patrick Manning is a very successful Prime Minister

Feb 08, 2009

When many citizens look around at the sky rocketing murder rate; the high level of inflation; the wastage of resources on non-priority projects; the corruption allegations at Udecott; the misuse of the Integrity Commission; the misuse of forensic accountants for witch hunts; the lack of monitoring of financial institutions by the Central Bank until it is too late and very expensive to bail out; the perceived inequitable treatment of citizens by the government; the collapse of almost every public national institution; the failing police service bedevilled by consistent allegations of corruption; the deterioration of the national infrastructure; the filth on the nation’s main streets; the high level of homelessness and vagrancy; the crumbling health-care, the unavailability of basic drugs for the sick and aged at health institutions; the deteriorating education system; the horrendous traffic situation; the flooding that occurs every time a rain drop falls; the obvious breakdown of the family structure due to societal pressures; the lack of effective social services; the inefficient water supply; the expensive electricity supply; the destruction of the environment; the destruction of the farming industry; the carnage on the roads; the lack of community facilities for the nation's youth; and, the systematic destruction of our culture…..one might be tempted to say that the Prime Minister and his administration are an unmitigated disaster and should be removed post haste.

 

BUT, to judge Prime Minister Manning’s performance by our own expectations, is to miss the point completely. We assume that this Prime Minister shares our aims and objectives for this country. We assume he is interested in providing security, public services or accountability to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and as such we use these outcomes as the yardstick by which he is judged to have performed.

INSTEAD, we need to understand that this Prime Minister is more interested in the control of every agency of the State. He is intent on becoming the supreme leader of Trinidad and Tobago by way of constitutional reform. He is interested in being not just Father of the Nation but Father of the Caribbean, and it does not matter what kind of father either. He is content to be like the many fathers right here in Trinidad and Tobago who have abandoned their children or who beat their children into submission when challenged.

This Prime Minister is interested in providing opportunities for his elite band of friends to become billionaires even if that is facilitated by breaking all the rules set up for accountability and good governance or by facilitating the growth and development of foreign construction firms and consultants to the detriment of the local construction industry.

He strives to be the master of deception and secrecy.

In order to measure the success of someone, we must measure their goals against their achievements. In the case of this Prime Minister, he is succeeding on every front, he has even managed to cause to be erected, a multi-billion dollar hotel and conference centre and convince the population that it belongs to them even as 99% of the population cannot even afford to buy lunch there and the income from the project is managed by a man who appears to be a law unto himself.

If our goals and expectations are different from those of this Prime Minister, then it is we who have failed. We as a nation have failed because by voting in Prime Minister Manning we could never achieve our goals for our nation. We have consistently given him the opportunity to fulfil the empty promises he makes year after year and for us to continue to fall for the broken promise rhetoric reflects badly not on him but on us. We need to understand that we are in a bad relationship with Mr. Manning and his administration and the only way to sanity is to get out of this relationship. It is only then will we be able to move on as a nation. Prime Minister Patrick Manning is not going to change. Tobago came close to showing that it understands.

We have a responsibility to our nation and too ourselves to show that we are not a bunch of mad people. Insanity is after-all described as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

The week in review

Jan 25, 2009

An Executive President with too much power

Jan 10, 2009

I would very much like to take up the invitation by the Honourable Prime Minister to air my views on the proposed constitution. However on my visit to the website of the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, though I could find an up to date source of government information inclusive of a “Statement by the Prime Minister on the laying in Parliament of a Working Document on the Reform of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago”, on 9th January 2009, I could not find an up to date draft of the proposed constitution. Instead, I had to be content with the draft laid in the House of Representatives on 18^th August 2006. As such, I will have to wait until I am able to peruse the entire up to date draft before making conclusive observations. In the interim, I will depend on the political journalist to inform me and will therefore limit my observations to the direct powers of the President.

 

What is being proposed is an Executive President. I say this because (s.41 (3)) of the draft laid in Parliament in 2006 clearly states that “the executive authority of Trinidad and Tobago shall be vested in the President” and there is little doubt that that has remained unchanged in the up to date draft.

 

The fact that the Executive President will be able to appoint 30 out of 37 Senators gives him absolute control of the Upper House. Independent Senators will become an historic creature. They are almost extinct in the present system. Since the President is elected by members of the Lower House, it stands to reason that he will have at least majority control of the Lower House also. In any event, the Executive Branch of government will be virtually unaccountable to either House of Parliament. In the present system Ministers are required to answer to Parliament by the mechanism of ‘questions to Ministers’, but this is largely ignored, and at present Ministers are members of the Parliament. In the new system, the significant majority of the Cabinet (17 out of 25) will be unelected and accountable only to the Executive President.

 

In addition, because Permanent Secretaries will be hired on contract they will be like Junior Ministers having to carry out the commands of their seniors without much debate and because the President will be able to veto any such appointment, the Permanent Secretaries will be beholden to one person, the President.

 

The President will also be able to select anyone at his whim to be his Vice President and he will appoint all tribunals. The fact that he will consult the Leader of the Opposition may in my view just give them an opportunity to have tea. 

 

Unlike a US President who has to get approvals from the independently elected Senate and Congress, the Executive President will have unfettered power. He will therefore be able to appoint almost every significant office in Trinidad and Tobago without any difficulty or opposition. He will be able to do whatever he pleases in Trinidad and Tobago except the one most needed, to raise the dead.

 

It has always been my belief that the Prime Minister and head of the Executive Branch of government should have his powers curtailed. There needs to be a greater devolution of power and resources to communities and people. This constitution goes in the opposite direction and further strips citizens of their power to challenge their leaders' decisions. This is may well be the last straw towards the complete erosion of our democracy and it must not be allowed to pass.

Penalised for thrift

Jan 07, 2009

When all is said and done, the recent pension/old age grant glitch untruth/debacle has once again highlighted that many senior citizens are penalized for thrift and saving.

 

The reality is that if you have never worked in an environment that allowed you to contribute to a pension or NIS, or you were unable to save, you are entitled to a $1950.00 grant. But if you worked hard all your life and paid your NIS contributions religiously so that you now receive $1000.00 from your NIS savings, you are only entitled to a $1800.00 grant which decreases by every dollar earned elsewhere over the $1000.00. This is absurd, citizens should be actively encouraged to provide for their retirement not penalised for doing so.

 

The fact that the government has chosen to call the pension a grant is to give the impression that senior citizens are being given a handout at the discretion of their masters. This too is absurd, most, if not all senior citizens have contributed in one way or another to the growth and development of this nation. As citizens we are all entitled to benefit from the resources that exist here naturally and civility dictates that our senior citizens are looked after.

 

NIS pensions should not be classed as income to measure the level of grant to be received, nor should benefits from any other contributory pension for that matter. People who opt to contribute to pensions have denied themselves income during their working years so that they would be able to enjoy retirement and not be a burden to the State or their relatives during those years.

 

It is also noted that citizens who managed to put aside some savings during their working years are denied access to these grants. This is yet another example of citizens being penalised for doing the right thing.

 

A national pension should be available to every citizen as of right. Imagine you could serve two terms as an unproductive, sometimes dishonest Member of Parliament and qualify for massive State pension benefits as a result, yet citizens who spend their entire years doing the right thing are denied the much smaller benefits. Where is the justice in that?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Jan 01, 2009

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE CRIME STATISTICS

Jan 01, 2009

 

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Gilbert Reyes, there were 545 homicides reported in 2008 and out of that figure, 365 were gang related. Two things immediately stand out. The first is that 180 murders in 2008 were not gang related and therefore "innocent" and second there was on average a gang related murder everyday of 2008, which means some poor young man living on the fringe of society.

 

These statistics fall short of actual figure of how many people were murdered in 2008. Even though 545 were recorded as homicides, up from approximately 392 in 2007 an increase of 153, there are still some 77 missing people unaccounted for, many of whom could be homicides and so the figure could rise to 600 easily.

 

In reality therefore, the actual homicide figure for 2008 is more likely to increase significantly.

 

In comparison, the Trinidad and Tobago homicide rate in the year 2000 was recorded as 10 per 100,000[1]. In 2001, it rose to 12.58 and continued as follows: 2002 – 14.33, 2003 – 20.69, 2004 – 20.07, 2005 – 29.69, 2006 – 28.53, 2007 – 30.38, and 2008 - 42.24.

 

To put 42.24 into perspective, the murder rate per 100,000 of Sierra Leone in 2002 was 50, in Columbia in 2007 was 37, in Venezuela in 2007 was 48, in Mexico in 2006 was 25, in Russia in 2006 was 16.5 and in Iraq in 2007 was 89.

 

Whereas in 2006, the homicide rates in the USA was 5.7, in Canada was 1.85, and in the UK was 1.37.

 

Incidentally, in 2000 South Africa’s homicide rate peaked at 49.6 and fell to 38.6 in 2007, in 2002 Columbia’s homicide rate peaked at 65.8 and fell to 37 in 2007, even Iraq’s homicide rate is falling. In fact, most of the major international crime hot-spots including Russia and Jamaica are showing decreases in homicide rates except Trinidad and Tobago.  

 

When the analysis is completed the definitive conclusion will be that the crime problem in Trinidad and Tobago continues to get much worse year after year despite the words of comfort from the top honchos in the government and the protective services. These words of comfort are useless without proper governance and, Trinidad and Tobago is sadly lacking in good governance.

 

The problem is not due to any international trend, nor to any bureaucracy in choosing a Police Commissioner, nor to any kidnapping bill, and definitely not to a lack of financial resources. It is soundly and unequivocally due to the incompetence of those who are charged with the responsibility of protecting the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago deserves better in 2009 and beyond.

 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

Ahmadinejad congratulates Abrahamic faiths on birth of Jesus

Dec 26, 2008

The MND felt it fitting to publish the full text of a Christmas message from Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (it is all about the message)

Merry Christmas

Dec 24, 2008

The MND wishes all of Trinidad and Tobago a very Merry and Holy Christmas and a Bright and Prosperous New Year. As we reflect on 2008 it should be easy to decide what not to do in 2009. Understand that human life is the most precious resource and treasure each and every one.

Don't blame Imbert

Dec 24, 2008

I read with interest the letter penned by Minister Imbert entitled "Don’t blame me for the cascade, maraval floods" and wish to make the following observations:

 

All accounts suggest that Minister Imbert has acted with dispatch in dealing with the aftermath of the flooding in the Perseverance area in Maraval. There can be no dispute to that.

 

However, it must also be said that the honourable gentleman has been the Member of Parliament for that area for the past 17 years and that area has also been represented by his party at the local government level for the last 16 years.

 

During the period 1996 to 2001 the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, which has the responsibility for final approvals for developments in that area, was completely controlled by his party and at that time was chaired by the present Attorney General.

 

Minister Imbert had considerable influence over what could or could not take place within his constituency and to seek to absolve himself from responsibility is disingenuous to say the least.  

 

Further, during the last 17 years, Minister Imbert has spent at least 11 years in office as Minister of Works and Transportation, Minister of Local Government and Minister of Works and Transportation, Minister of Health, and again as Minister of Works and Transportation. If he felt and as he claimed, recognised that there were concerns with the new development, he could have used the last 5 years correcting the problems and doing preventative work to prevent the discomfort felt by his constituents BUT HE DIDN'T.

 

Also, flooding in Perseverance is not a new issue, in my tenure as Local Government Representative from 1992 to 1996, that area experienced serious flooding similar to what took place last week, though admittedly a little less severe. During that time period Minister Imbert served as both Minister of Local Government and Minister of Works and Transport and whilst there was clean up nothing was done to prevent the recurrence of the problem by either of his Ministries as evidenced by what recently took place and neither was the required funding given to local government to be able to undertake such measures.

 

So Minister it would seem that you may have to take some blame after-all.

 

Merry Christmas to all.

Nicholas: No good alternatives

Dec 14, 2008

From the Sunday Guardian:

Political Leader of the Movement for National Development (MND) Garvin Nicholas argues that many of the country’s political leaders have failed to listen to the voice of the people.

“Sadly, this is what has led to their downfall.”

Nicholas was commenting about several political groups being formed over the years, but did not survive the test of time, due to a number of reasons.

Among the political parties that were formed and fizzled were the DAC, Club 88, Citizens Alliance and NAR.

Nicholas, who pulled out of last year’s general election at the 11th hour, because his party was not ready to contest any of the 41 seats, feels a successful leader must listen to the masses.

“When a leader fails to address social and economic issues, this is where things go wrong for him or her. They get into government and stop looking after the people’s interest.”

Nicholas stressed that a good leader would go out into the communities and get direction and answers from people, not the politician pushing their own ideals.

The PNM, he said, was guilty of turning a deaf ear to several burning and pressing matters, while the two Opposition parties—the UNC-A and COP—had no plan in the pipeline to become an alternative government.

“For a country’s democracy to be strong, you must have a good alternative.” (SH)

Crime Plan

Dec 09, 2008

1. prevention;
2. detection;
3. prosecution; and
4. rehabilitation.

1. social displacement and peer group association (living outside of mainstream society);
2. frustration derived from: poverty, learning difficulties, poor schooling, family breakdown and abuse (revenge);
3. the example of leaders in the community and what is believed to be socially acceptable;
4. belief that they would go unpunished because of poor detection rates;
5. drug abuse; and
6. just being one determined to cause trouble.

The MND

Dec 06, 2008

Reference is made to the following paragraphs of a letter penned by the leader of the DPTT, Mr. Steve Alvarez in which he stated:

 

"The DPTT is eight years old and apart from its political leader writing in the press and raising issues with the media, the party has failed to be a viable alternative. Its “Vision for T&T,” a document indicating its plan for the country, is not published or distributed nationally. There are no well-known members of the party except Wayne Rodriguez, the chairman, and myself. The DPTT has no fixed office, telephone contact or branch offices.

 

The MND, led by Garvin Nicholas, is similar to the DPTT and has never participated in a general election or any national election."  

 

I commend my friend Steve on his thoughts, however I wish to point out that the DPTT and MND are very dis-similar on many levels. The MND was formed in October 2005 with the intention of contesting the 2007 general election but after thoughtful contemplation, we decided not too. The party was not ready and we did not want to make a half hearted attempt at the election as we believed the population deserved better, that national politics is a serious endeavour not to be taken lightly and we did not feel it was in the best interest of anyone to be part of any alliance at that time.

 

However, the MND continues to be an independent organization and sees itself as the party of the future and our published manifesto gives testimony to that. We intend to be the most viable alternative to the government at the next election. To this end we have been quietly getting our house in order by seeking out the most competent and untainted individuals who are loyal not to leaders per se but to country and noble ideals. We continue to develop policies that we believe can be relevant to the overall development of the nation, we are very cognisant of the people's desire for real change and we intent to give them that opportunity the next time around.

 

We are firm in our belief that the traditional political tactics of dividing to conquer or of smoke and mirrors deception and corruption do not represent the future. We believe that the hope that Mr. Obama has come to represent lives in every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and we intend to facilitate the realization of that hope.

 

In the interim, our policies will continue to be posted on our website at www.mndtt.com and we remain committed to our ideals of a better Trinidad and Tobago for all citizens.

Excerpt from Selwyn Ryan's poll

Nov 24, 2008

"Given the positions that were taken on the specific issues identified previously, it comes as no surprise that there was no overwhelming support for the PNM as the party which people preferred to have govern the country. Only 27 per cent would prefer to see the PNM remain in charge of the country. Sixteen per cent would prefer COP while 11 per cent would endorse the UNC-Alliance as their party of choice. Only 9 per cent would welcome a combined opposition, an alternative proposed by Mr. Panday and the UNC-Alliance. As many as 26 per cent did not want any of these options while 11 per cent offered no opinion on the matter."

We told you so

Nov 18, 2008

It is not always sweet to be proven right and the MND hate saying to this government that we told you so when the result of the government not listening is the obvious hardship of our fellow citizens.

 

However, over the last seven years we have begged the government to slow down on its spending and save for a rainy day and that rainy day has now come. In response to our plea and the pleas of many others who shared our views and even articulated these views better than we have, the government, aided many times by the governor of the central bank, opted to rebuff our opinions and even tried to find ways of belittling them. Just recently Colm Imbert wrote that there was no need to fear falling oil prices and went on to disparage those who called for a review of the 2008/2009 budget.

 

The fact that officials are only now saying what has been said for the last seven years fills us with great dread because it means that things are much worse than they say. Food inflation has been in the vicinity of 70% per annum for some time, so too many building materials and other essential items. This has been so when the central bank was reporting inflation of 9%. As such we must tremble at what real food inflation is with a recorded inflation figure of 15%.

 

Our economy has been significantly mismanaged over the last seven years and the population will feel a great big pinch in the very near future as a result of this mismanagement.  

 

When we were supposed to be getting the fundamentals of the economy right, the government was spending faster than it was earning, even though it was earning somewhere between 500-600% more than it had in the past earned from unprecedented energy revenues.

 

When we should have been getting citizens trained and in to sustainable employment, the government was splashing out money in URP and CEPEP whilst making productive citizens of Chinese imports. How will the government now sustain URP and CEPEP? And what will the consequences to the citizens be if these programmes cannot be sustained? Will the murder spree deteriorate into widespread looting and mayhem? If in good times the murder rate increased faster than the rate of inflation what are we to expect in a recession?

 

We remember the Finance Minister saying that we were not going to be affected by what was taking place in the USA, now her tune has changed.

 

We remember the Governor of the Central Bank saying that all would be well, now he is calling on business to help curb inflation. How does he expect them to do that? By keeping the salaries of their employees low?

 

We also remember the Prime Minister and Calder Hart stating that there would be no cost overruns on UdeCOTT projects, but that too has changed in billions.

 

Government policies have driven up the cost of goods and services whilst Parliamentarians enjoyed massive salary increases, a few government cronies have creamed billions from the economy, but the hard working, honest, decent citizens are the ones who will suffer from the government’s policies.   

 

This Christmas, you can be sure that government ministers and their spouses will be flying all over the world shopping and having a good old time, on New Year’s Eve they will be drinking the finest Champaign and all along the way they will be asking hard working citizens who trust them to manage the economy on our behalf, to tighten our belts.  

Obama vs. T&T

Nov 07, 2008

I am very pleased indeed that Barack Obama won the US Presidential Elections not so much because he is black (don't get me wrong that is also a good thing), but because of his message of change that is so badly needed in the USA and in many other parts of the world. 

 

For too long we have practised the same politics, have done the same things and have expected to get different results. It is a matter of fact that the same consciousness that has created the mess we find ourselves in cannot and will not be able to change that mess. If we are to bring about change, we must be prepared to do things differently.

 

I also wish to take this opportunity to point out that Mr. Obama did not campaign, nor does he identify himself as an African-American, he is an American. He will also govern as an American. He will put Americans first, he plans to tax companies that export jobs out of America more heavily than those who create jobs for Americans. He intends to make America energy independent so that America will not have to be dependent on any foreign nation for its energy supply. He intends to invest in Americans, in their education, in their health-care and in their livelihoods.

 

In other words, he did not campaign as an African or as an Indian. He will not run abroad to bring in foreign consultants to build his country. He will not bring in foreign labour at the expense of his citizens. He will not by pass local companies to go to foreign countries to lease vehicles to impress world leaders. He will ensure that his citizens are first among world citizens not treat them with disdain. He will ensure his country is self sufficient in food, his citizens are safe, his economy is strong and sustainable, his country's children are educated and happy - that is his stated goal and he is big enough to bring in talent from every political colour to assist in bringing about his stated goal.  

 

So when local citizens applaud Obama and local politicians jump on the bandwagon - know what he stands for!

Saving the PNM from the PNM

Oct 21, 2008

Saving the PNM from the PNM Michael Harris Monday, October 20th 2008

We should all be indebted to Selwyn Ryan for his column in last week's Sunday Express (October 12) entitled "The danger facing Trinidad and Tobago". Notwithstanding the title and the passing references to the country, what the article really delivers is a critical examination of the difficulties facing the PNM, and what it points to is the very real possibility that the grand old party is about to collapse onto itself. The danger to the party and the difficulties it faces, according to Ryan, stem from the fact that "the Prime Minister seems locked on a path of self-destruction, and no one in his entourage seems willing or able to tell him that he needs to engage in course correction." The real burden of the article is revealed with Ryan's revelation that "many stalwart members of the PNM believe and whisper their belief that the Prime Minister is out of control, and that he is repeating the peculiar behaviour that led to his downfall in 1995 when the PNM lost the elections. Some gather informally to decide what must be done to avert political and national disaster. Their view is that the PNM is too important a national institution to be left to the PNM." Ryan then goes on to list and discuss five options which are being considered when stalwart PNM members meet informally and whisper behind closed doors. These are, briefly, as follows: 1 - Rally behind Manning; 2 - Organise to remove Manning from Office; 3 - Build a counter-movement within the party to be ready to take control when Manning stumbles; 4 - Seek a grand coalition with forces outside the party; and 5 - Resign themselves to the fact that there are no options. If the underlying assumption - that the Prime Minister by virtue of his attitude, his arrogance and his intransigence is leading the party to its destruction- is true and if the options for party members are truly limited to those outlined by Ryan, then we may already be witnessing the early phases of a grand implosion. But which party is it that is about to implode? It is difficult to fathom that political people, especially those within the PNM, are still unmindful that there are in fact two PNM's. Patrick Manning has no such illusion. From the very moment that he gained possession, almost by default, of the leadership reins of the party he has worked assiduously and tirelessly to make the party his own - lock, stock and barrel. The stalwarts, who now wring their hands in desperation, should ask themselves what did they do to keep the soul of the party alive in the post-1986 period when Manning drove Morris Marshall to an early grave and hounded Muriel Donawa-McDavidson, and other long-serving members out of the party. Indeed it was Muriel, political to the core as she was, who at the time clearly saw the writing on the wall and warned the party that Manning was bent of converting the People's National Movement into Patrick's National Movement. And we could ask where were these stalwarts prior to the general elections last year when Manning, in an unprecedented and utterly alien act for any leader of the PNM, called out the police to Balisier House to remove party supporters who were loudly protesting his treatment of Valley et al. But we won't ask because by then it was already too late. Manning had achieved his aim and he could have claimed then, what in effect he recently claimed, "le Parti c'est moi." Those stalwarts who still consider themselves as bearing true faith and allegiance to the PNM founded by Dr Williams, and who today have awoken to find themselves little more than a minority tendency within an environment over which they have absolutely no control, should ask themselves, critically and honestly, how could it have happened? How could they have let this one man, far from being the best among them, gain such complete and total control of their party? If they are prepared to speak truth to themselves they would have to admit that the original PNM carried within itself the seeds of its own subversion. These seeds came in the form of party principles or commandments enunciated early in the party's history and adhered to through all its years no matter how much its circumstances or its political environment changed. The first of these was the principle of the paramountcy of the leader. This principle affirmed that, as Ryan puts it. "The role of the party in the PNM is to support the leader who is the standard bearer of the tribe ." The second of these principles was that the party speaks with one voice. Essentially this meant that once the leader had spoken no contrary views or opinion could be uttered in public, not simply by cabinet members or members of the Government but by anyone in the entire party, on pain of excommunication. The third principle was that the party stands alone. This principle asserted that the party would never enter into any alliances, coalitions, or joint undertakings with any other group or party in the country under any circumstances. What these three principles effectively meant was that there could never be any open politics within the party, that any challenge to a sitting leader could only take place within the confines of party structures controlled by the leader and that any such challenge could never be made in the realm of ideas and policies but strictly on the issue of personality. Adherence to these principles swiftly turned the party into one where politics degenerated into nothing but rumour-mongering and backbiting and secret cabals, where the leader was allowed to insult, demean and embarrass members at will with no possibility of sanction and where new policies and ideas died before they could even be conceived. In such an environment all that was required to turn the party into the one man vehicle it has now become was the rise of a leader whose motivation had nothing to do with the good of the country or even of the party but solely with his own inward hunger for personal aggrandisement. Enter Patrick Manning. So that the first thing these stalwart adherents to the party founded by Dr Williams should ask themselves as they contemplate their options, is which PNM are they hoping to save? Perhaps they would find that achieving clarity on that question may well open up many new vistas

Mr PM, we can't take much more

Oct 21, 2008

Mr PM, we can't take much more Tuesday, October 21st 2008

I really think it is time we censure the Government. After all, the most burning issue facing the population - crime - did not even qualify for mention during the PNM's General Council meeting over the weekend. Imagine that! In the week just past, on two occasions the overnight tally of murders was five each; over the weekend, eight additional murders were committed, and all this is irrelevant to the Government of T&T, or as PNM chairman Conrad Enill opines when asked for a response, "Crime has nothing to do with the Government, rather it is people out there who are involved in nefarious activity." If we agree for argument's sake that safety and security of citizens is a responsibility of the State, and that the Government of the day has a responsibility to ensure that the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution are enjoyed by all, then that statement suggests either, that the PNM does not take seriously its charter with the people, or that those in power are oblivious and ignorant to the fears and uncertainties of John Public. I cannot for the life of me understand how, in the face of the murderous climate in the country, where young or old, male or female, nationals or foreigners, rich or poor, Indo, Afro, Caucasian, French Creole, Syrian tout-moon are at risk of falling prey to this culture of senseless slaughter stalking the land, this supposedly caring Government with all the State machinery at their disposal can do nothing, or is not prepared to do anything to bring relief to the citizens. Already we are overburdened by inflation, flooding, high food prices, fears of a global financial crisis which seem to be of little concern to the PNM despite admonitions from both local and foreign experts, whether the sky falls or not, whether we are likened to Chicken-Little or some such other infantile assertions by our learned leaders. By the time the bottom falls out, they will have demitted office and moved on to enjoy the spoils of their ill-gotten gains, while we the masses come to grips with the austerity measures that will be necessary to stabilise the economy. Mr Manning and company, we are tired and fed-up and we really cannot take much more of this. As a concerned citizen I beg, nay, I urge you to address these issues before playing Caribbean godfather and aspiring to be the emperor of the Caribbean. Your constituents need relief now, not after the Summit of the Americas, not next year, but now. Kenneth Sylvester

Take a stand today

Oct 20, 2008

If I were superstitious, I might conclude like many people I have spoken with in various communities that the Prime Minister has sold the young souls of the nation to keep the nation blind and ignorant so as to stay in power. But, as a rational human being, I cannot entertain such thoughts.

Instead, I have conclude that the Prime Minister and his team are either grossly incompetent or adopt the more cynical conclusion that they are using crime and other misadventures in the age old technique of smoke and mirrors politics to divert attention from the pilferage and mismanagement of the economy. Neither scenario is acceptable although the latter is far less so.

Government, like universal existence, takes place at many different levels. There is what is seen and there is what is unseen, there is the obvious and there is the mischief behind the scenes. Scientists have discovered that what is unseen is in far greater quantity than what is seen and I suspect it is the same for government.

On the most basic level of our consciousness, that which is put in our face daily, the Prime Minister and his team seem to be running Trinidad and Tobago like a failed investment bank. There seems to be the same level of arrogance, wild spending, lack of accountability, lack of regard for its customers (in this case citizens), no clear vision or plan for the sustainable growth and development of the nation AND there are widespread suggestions that the executives of this team have millions stored away in foreign bank accounts and homes spread across the globe just like executives from failed investment banks.

As a result of either scenario inflation is skyrocketing and so the cost of the living for ordinary citizens is getting higher and higher as their salaries more or less remain the same. In other words as the nation’s prosperity reaches unbelievable heights, the majority of citizens are getting poorer.

Food inflation, which does not form part of the government’s core inflation figures, is reported by the Central Bank to be 21.8% year on year. Yet to date the government have failed to get agriculture going in Trinidad and Tobago in any meaningful way. The local farmers are constantly being neglected, their crops are flooded out year on year and the government continues to promise mega farms as the solution whilst the majority of ordinary citizens catch their nen nen. One might be tempted to say that this is another smoke and mirrors political tactic when we look at what has been spent in agriculture.

Getting back to the main issue however, every year for the past 6 years the national security budget has been significantly increased. The citizens have heard promises of gun boats, gun helicopters and we occasionally see a blimp hanging in the sky. We have been told that the government know how many gangs are operating and that they have intelligence as to who are the members of these gangs. Years ago, the Prime Minister got up in Parliament and announced that he knew who Mr. Big was, but to date he remains a mystery to the population. The Minister of National Security promises every time he speaks that things will get better. But year on year the crime figures rise, a new record murder rate is set every year. This year the murder rate is moving faster than Usain Bolt.    

No one seems to be safe in Trinidad or Tobago anymore and we have to wonder if this will be the legacy we will leave for our children if they should survive, or will we as citizens finally say enough is enough. As far as I am concerned enough came a long time ago, so the question will be for the nation as to what for you is enough, 1,000 murders per year or 10,000 murders per year?

Citizens are being murdered on the streets, in their homes, at their work places, in bars and restaurants. Do we as a people find this acceptable?

Whilst brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, cousins and friends are gunned down the government embroils itself with what can only be described as smoke and mirror politics.

Whose agenda is being served when the Prime Minister gets up in Parliament and accuses a former Cabinet Minister in his administration of misappropriating $10 million?

Whose agenda is being served when the government insist on wanting to spend between $100 million and $200 million in vehicles to impress foreign dignitaries over a two week period? Already ministries are littered with $500,000.00 vehicles to deliver mail.

The government have spent billions on the waterfront project, who gets to use these facilities? Not the ordinary man in the street. Yet community facilities all around the country that ordinary citizens have access to remain run down and dilapidated.

Surely we are not so blind that we cannot see our nation deteriorate before our very eyes. Obviously we hear the utterances of arrogance that fall from the lips of Cabinet Ministers that show them being clearly out of touch with our most basic needs. Listening to the radio, we clearly understand our rights as citizens and the power that we hold.

We can achieve nothing however if we do not awake from our slumber. We are not being protected by those charged with the duty to protect us, our lives are being made harder by those we have entrusted to take care of us, but we have the power to change this.

Don’t let party loyalty get in the way of family loyalty. After all your representative will not put your needs before his own.

Take a stand today.

Are we better off

Sep 24, 2008

The time for all the economic minds to postulate and make the rounds on the television and radio is here again. The time has even come, surprisingly so, for the Governor of the Central Bank to sound a warning to the government about inflation. This warning will no doubt be echoed by one set of economic thinkers who will point out that the world economy is in a bit of turmoil, brought about largely by excessive greed, and that it is far better to concentrate on consolidation and savings. Whilst others might believe the government's spending is in line with good governance and it is far better to continue spending at phenomenal rates even if that spending brings no immediate or tangible benefit to ordinary citizens. Such is the political divide and the cycle of our existence in lovely T&T.

 

But whilst we ponder inflation rates, the collapse of financial institutions, the fluctuations in oil prices, global food shortages and the general global and national economic and social realities, it may be proper to ask the one simple question that really matters. Are we, as people, as parents, as children, as citizens better off today than we were seven years ago?

 

To answer this question we must examine the fundamentals of our existence.

 

Over the last seven years, the government's budgets surpassed $200 billion. Do we as a result of that feel like we are able to purchase more in the supermarket for ourselves and our families? Do we experience greater security in our homes, on our streets and in our towns and cities? Do we feel that our schools are performing better? Do more children have access to quality education? Is our water supply more reliable? What about our electricity supply? Are there less traffic jams on our roads? Is it safer and more affordable to travel on public transport? Is it safer and more affordable to travel in private transport? Are our roads and bridges in better condition? Does it flood less when it rains? Is our environment better off? Are our streets cleaner? Are there less homeless people about? Are our rivers and seas less polluted? Do we get better treatment at our health centres and hospitals? Are our young people becoming better adults? Are our senior citizens better off? What about the disabled, do they have greater access and more opportunity? In our villages, do we have better sporting facilities? Are there more organised sporting and community activities that bind us together? Are the NGOs that provide the services that hold the social fabric together better funded? Do we get a better public service? Are the women in our society more secure? Have we moved on from dependency on imported food? Are our farmers better off? Are we happier as a people? Do we respect each other more?

 

After more than $other billion, can we stand firm, hold our heads high and say that we are better off? And do we even want to be?

Minister Martin Joseph should be sacked

Aug 15, 2008

You will probably not hear me say this very often but I agree with Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj on the issue of Martin Joseh’s sacking.

Statistically, Martin Joseph has been the all time worst performing Minister of National Security in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. Already for this year there have been some 330 confirmed murders, which represents an increase of some 70% over the same period last year and last year was the worst year in our history.

There can be no justification for Martin Joseph to continue on in the office he now holds. His lame excuses and attempted defence on the increase in murders would have only been articulated by someone who has no respect for the intelligence of a sophisticated population such as ours.

He has managed to segment the murders into gang related, reprisals etc. and indicates that new initiatives such as the use of scientific tools like DNA evidence would allow him to reduce crime by 2020.

The first issue I take with his statement is this. How can anyone be able to identify the causes of each murder without even being aware of who committed it? This reminds me of the statements on knowing how many gangs were operating in T&T without the knowledge it would seem as to who were operating these gangs or where those operating these gangs could be found to be brought to justice. Another Mr. Big scenario.

With regards to his use of scientific methods, I wish to remind the Minister and the population that there had been calls for the use of DNA evidence in crime fighting since 2001/2002 by various people including myself, when the murder pattern now seen today was just being established. The Minister took 6 years to respond.

There continues to be calls for the use of CCTVs to monitor the cities, villages and road network but the Minister does not yet see the value in this tool (or it may be that he does not know someone who supplies CCTVs). It may take another 6 years or another 2,500 murders.

This Minister loves to cite global trends to justify his failures, but as he looks towards developed status I will use the opportunity to point out that in the 12 month period to June 2008 there were 155 homicides in London (population 7.5 million or 6 times that of T&T). In the 12 month period to June 2007 there were 175 homicides. That means a decrease in homicides in 2008 over 2007 by 11.4%.

NOTE: homicides include murder, manslaughter and infanticide. Therefore the actual murder figure is much lower.

I use London because of the diversity in population and the many similarities in gang culture, drug trafficking, money laundering and increased gun use, to use examples like Switzerland would be unfair. Even so London has a more widespread drug culture in my view with strong opium, heroine, crack cocaine and cannabis trades that attract the attention of law enforcement agencies. YET, the homicide rate in London is not only falling, it is about 1/3 of what it is in T&T even with a population 6 times that of T&T.

I should also point out that gun enabled crime in London is down over the same periods 16.1% from 3,200 for the 12 month period up to June 2007 to 2,684 for the 12 month period up to June 2008.

Another example that I believe would make for fair comparison is New York City. There have been approximately 305 murders in New York City for the year to date as opposed to approximately 296 for the same period in 2007 (I say approximately only because the figures are a couple days old). This represents a rise of some 3%. The population of New York City is approximately 6.5 times that of T&T and there can be little argument that New York City is still one of the most violent cities in the USA. There too can be found major international gangs such as the Russian, Italian, Irish and Chinese mafia and a proliferation of drugs and guns (that can be purchased freely). YET, even New York City have had less murders that T&T.

What we have in T&T is a Ministry of National Security that has seen its budget allocation quadruple over the last 6 years presiding over a population that if anything has decreased in size. YET murders have quadrupled over the same period.

Crime was significantly lower when there was significantly less money going to the Ministry of National Security, before the kidnapping bill was passed, before the change in the procedure in the appointment of the Police Commissioner and certainly before the appointment of this National Security Minister.

Will anybody take responsibility? 

69% increase in record murder rate

Aug 11, 2008

BY RICHARD LORD

National Security Minister Martin Joseph confirmed yesterday that there has been a 69-per-cent increase in the murder rate for the year—up to yesterday—when compared with the same period last year.

Joseph said there were 190 gang-related murders in T&T, also up to yesterday, and 91 for the corresponding period in 2007.

He said there were 16 drug-related killings for the year 2008 to date, while there were 23 for the same period last year.

Joseph made these revelations during yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister at Whitehall.

He admitted that the Government was “dealing with what is historically the most difficult crime to detect: gang-related violence.”

“We are right now looking at what can we do to put a greater handle on gangs,” he said.

He said it was for this reason that the law enforcement agencies were “shifting into technology—DNA, forensic (testing) etc—is what is absolutely important.”

Joseph said based on the Government’s Vision 2020 initiative, as it relates to crime and violence, “we know that we are far away (from that vision). It is unfortunate that it is taking us a little while but we will get to the Vision 2020.”

Joseph admitted that “an increased number of guns are coming into the country” a development proving to be “the real challenge” in the fight against the record-high murder rate in the country.

He said the illegal guns on the nation’s streets were “the root cause of the unacceptable crime and violence” in T&T.

Joseph said the Government was looking at legislative measures to assist law enforcement officers in dealing with the issue of illegal guns on the nation’s streets.

Joseph said the Government was not in support of a gun amnesty.

“We do not believe that a gun amnesty is going to give us the kind of assistance necessary...My understanding of a gun amnesty is that (with it) you get money for your old guns to buy new guns,” he said.

Responding to questions on the safety of visiting dignitaries for the Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference being held in Port of Spain next year, Joseph said the National Security Council met last week and agreed to “aggressively address” the problem.

BREAKDOWN

National Security Minister Martin Joseph said yesterday there were 91 gang-related murders in the country between January and August 7 last year.

He said the figure for the same period this year was 190.

He gave additional statistics:

• Drug-related murders 23 (2007); 16 (2008)

• Altercation 18 (2007); 20 (2008)

• Robbery 24 (2007); 31 (2008)

• Domestic violence 13 (2007); 23 (2008)

• Revenge 15 (2007); 18 (2008)

• State witness 0 (2007) ; 1 (2008)

• Unclassified 6 (2007) ; 9 (2008)

Bloody Outrageous

Jul 22, 2008

"Bloody Outrageous" is the only way to describe the current murder rate in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

As the leader of the Movement for National Development I have been fairly silent on matters of State since the general election of 2007. I had adopted the approach that with a new constitutionally elected government in place I would not only give them the opportunity to try to correct the major problems facing the nation BUT even go so far as to offer my assistance in trying to make our nation safe for all citizens from every political background because there is after-all a time to fight and a time to co-operate for the advancement of the wider interest. 

 

Unfortunately, the current murder rate fills me with dread and horror as it must all our citizens.

 

For the moment, I find myself practising criminal law in the UK where daily I am faced with what is considered to be "serious crime". But putting this into perspective, "serious crime" consists mainly of wounding from punch ups and the occasional knife assaults. There is no doubt that at present knife crime is receiving some prominence in the UK media because it is now occurring very regularly in Inner London but in other areas of the UK it is rare to pick up a local newspaper and read of a murder and this is in a population of some 60 million people.

 

Trinidad and Tobago has a population of just 1.3 million people yet one can pick up the newspaper and find that over a 24 hr period there have been 4 murders and over the last 18 days there have been about 29 murders. That has to be a wholly unacceptable position to be in for any country far less one as small as ours.

 

Murders and crime in general are committed mainly when people believe they will not be caught or punished for their behaviour. The most effect deterrent tends to be the belief that one will be caught and punished, this is clearly lacking in our current environment.

 

In an effort to address this situation, I have suggested to the government to make widespread use of CCTVs to monitor our towns, cities, streets and highways. This tool has proved to be fantastically effective in detecting and prosecuting criminals. 

 

I have also suggested to the government to do away with the preliminary enquiry so that trials can be fast tracked through the High Court to get criminals off the streets faster.

 

It has been further suggested that attorneys be retained by the DPP to prosecute in the Magistrates' Courts to make the process more effective.

 

And I have even taken the step to introduce the government to Queen's Counsel (who lectures to High Court Judges in the UK on the issue) who has advised on reforming the hearsay rules to make trials more effective. 

 

Additionally but not exhaustively, I have suggested providing alternative activities to crime for young men in communities, such as organised sport.

 

Of course nothing happens overnight but there are indeed many initiatives that can be adopted by the government to show that they are serious about addressing the issue of crime fighting which seems to the average citizen to be generally ignored by the government.

 

I therefore implore the government, in as constructive a manner as I can, to show that they are serious about crime fighting as the country cannot stand more of this bloodshed.

 

Our image and any potential of a real tourism industry are being washed down the drain with the blood of our citizens.

A murder every 17 hours

Jul 22, 2008

Darryl Heeralal dheeralal@trinidadexpress.com Monday, July 21st 2008

search: Police officers during a roadblock along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Pasea, on Friday night. - Photo: ABRAHAM DIAZ

THERE are only 64 countries in the world smaller than Trinidad and Tobago and, in terms of land mass, we rank 171 out of 235 nations.

As per population, Trinidad and Tobago is 153 on the list of 235, the United States Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook says.

Now compare our size and population to the number of murders being committed here daily.

In a comparative study of more than 75 countries, Trinidad and Tobago was ranked the ninth most homicidal in the world in 2007, based on the number of murders committed per 100,000 citizens.

The per capita murder rate for homicides for every 100,000 is the international yardstick used to measure murder rates and to compare levels of violence.

Per capita rates are used by most international agencies, including the United Nations.

The study was based on a 2003 survey and presented on nationmaster.com, which is dedicated to compiling crimes figures for countries around the world and a 2007 list complied by wikipedia.com, an independent website.

Figures for the 2007 list of countries compiled (see below) were independently sourced using statistics from various government and police records for each nation.

In Trinidad and Tobago, in the five years since 2003, the per capita murder rate almost doubled, increasing by over 70 per cent from 17.61 to 30.15, one of the largest jumps in the countries surveyed.

So far for 2008, we are ahead of last year's murder rate by more than 100 - an increase of 71 per cent. The per capita rate predicted by police for the end of this year is expected to be higher than the 2007 figure.

The ratio of murder victims to the population of this country is in fact so high we rank above places like Brazil, which recorded over 51,000 murders last year, Russia over 23,000 murders, the United States over 17,000 murders and Mexico over 14,000 murders.

For this year so far, the per capita rate is just above 20 and if murder trends continue with a killing taking place every 17 hours on average, homicide investigators say we can expect over 500 murders at the end of this year.

If Homicide Bureau projections - based on murders committed so far and compared with trends for previous years - are correct, then we would end up with a per capita rate of over 38, making Trinidad and Tobago as homicidal as Colombia and South Africa.

South Africa, Colombia and Russia, which had ranked in the top five homicidal countries five years ago, have all been able to get their murder rates down with Russia and Colombia making the biggest drops.

And while this country has dropped on the per capita list from 2003, our rate has gone up exponentially, increasing by over 70 per cent in five years.

In terms of per capita murders in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is second only to Jamaica and ranked more violent than Haiti, which is 17 on the list with a per capita rate of 11.5.

In Trinidad and Tobago, since 2001, the murder rate has on average increased by 24 per cent every year with the biggest jump being in 2005 with a 48 per cent increase in homicides over 2004.

There was a 4.6 per cent drop in the rate in 2006 over 2005.

Comparatively, the per capita rate since 2001 has leaped by 159 per cent from 11.6 to 30.15 at the end of last year, Homicide Bureau figures show.

In the six years between 1996 and 2001 there was a total of 662 murders, while between the start of 2002 and the end of 2007, 1,809 murders were recorded.

For this year so far, more than 290 murders have been committed.

Homicides committed along the East/West Corridor have accounted for over 70 per cent of the country's total murders every year since 2002, police figures show.

When gang murders first started escalating in 2002, former police commissioner Hilton Guy said that, based on the police's information, corruption with State-funded projects, including the Unemployment Relief Programme and NHA refurbishing project, was fuelling the gang violence.

Several special units in the Police Service formed to deal with gang violence say, based on their intelligence, corruption within these programmes continues to fuel the murders and with gangsters using money from these projects as a financial base to buy guns and drugs.

The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have all issued travel warnings about the increasing incidence of homicide and kidnapping for ransom in this country within the last few years, all of which are still current.

None of the travel warnings from these countries has been downgraded.

There have also been several international media reports in the last five years about the violence in the nation, including the LA Times, Miami Herald, the BBC and other British media.

Two weeks ago, the British government, concerned about drug mules from this country, said it would now require a visa for Trinidad and Tobago nationals entering the UK if the situation is not turned around in six months.

Government catches up with MND policy

Jul 01, 2008

'Commonwealth should step up security' PM warns of looming food crisis... Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com Tuesday, July 1st 2008

quick chat: Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, left, shares a light moment with Housing Minister Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde during yesterday's launch of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain. Looking on is Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne. -Photo: CURTIS CHASE Prime Minister Patrick Manning says there is intelligence from specific "leading" countries which recommends that all states develop specific national security responses in order to deal with threats that could result from widespread hunger. "We are also being warned by, and will ignore at our peril, the protests and riots over food and fuel that have already taken place in several countries, developed and developing, and which could be the harbinger of much wider and deeper conflict if the global situation persists to the point of irretrievability," Manning said yesterday. Manning did so as he described this country's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2009, as one on which the fate of the world hangs in the balance, given the combined influence of the body's 52 member states. "Next year here in Port of Spain, we must therefore issue a call for greater and urgent global action to save the planet and our civilisation," Manning said. while delivering the feature address at the launch of the CHOGM 2009 and its logo at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Port of Spain. Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, who attended the launch, said next year's CHOGM will be a significant event for Trinidad and Tobago, given the challenges now facing the world. Manning said global warming, record high oil prices and their impact on the supply of food, have together created a worldwide challenge the Commonwealth cannot ignore. "Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, intelligence assessments by certain leading countries in the world have already pointed to the need for the level of... individual national security, to match the problems that would be created by widespread hunger, competition and conflict over resources and mass movement of people across borders," Manning said. He also stressed the need for better consumption of global food and energy resources, as well as greater equity in their distribution. "The world, particularly those who are blessed with abundance, can no longer afford to be excessive or wasteful. Already, the few consume too much and the majority too little, contributing to the extreme poverty that affects over one billion people in the world today," Manning said. He did, however, express hope that all is not lost, but noted that the will to deal with the challenges facing the Commonwealth and the world at large must be met by the implementation of plans of action.

Make food production a national priority

Apr 06, 2008

Food shortage and the mis-use of land resources are no longer just political talking points. Food shortage is now a global reality that will only be exacerbated by population growth, increased wealth, global warming and ignorance.

 

Trinidad and Tobago, as a small twin island State cannot continue its ever increasing dependence on food imports for the survival of its citizens.

 

The effects of global food shortages and a consistently weakening US dollar are quickly undermining our security as a nation. The purchase of basic food items is becoming more and more difficult for middle class Trinidad and Tobagonians. When a large part of the population can no longer afford basic items to feed themselves and their children, they will revolt. This is not a prediction, it is a lesson in history.

 

It would be a real pity if we as a nation suffered such a fate following the most affluent years of our history.

 

The focus has to be on food security before anything else. The Ministry of Agriculture needs to be working hand in hand with the Ministries of Local Government, Social Services, Planning and the Environment to ensure that an elaborate plan is put in place for sustainable growth in the production of food in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

There should be incentives not just for large farms but for small and medium size farms as well. By encouraging and facilitating agricultural entrepreneurship the sector will grow and flourish at a faster rate with greater efficiency.

 

There is merit in seeking to develop the infrastructure and ambience of the nation's towns and cities. There is also merit in dealing with the traffic problems that face citizens on a daily basis. Some may even say that there may be merit in trying to make international travel more efficient for the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues BUT none of these noble attainments can be enjoyed by a rioting population with empty stomachs ....... a most crucial point.

 

There is an adage that says the higher you climb, the harder you will fall. Trinidad and Tobago is riding high on gas the wealth from gas prices, now is the time to ensure we build a sustainable foundation for when NOT IF the gas runs out or the prices fall or the food prices catch up with the gas prices.

 

The US farmers will not sit back and watch their profits dwindle as they pay more for gas or as the value of their currency falls. They will adjust their prices to make up the shortfall. This means that for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, food will indeed continue to become more expensive and food inflation will continue to set new records.

 

Without food security there can be no national security. The billions of dollars being spent on fast patrol boats to prevent foreign nationals from entering our shores will not protect us from the hungry mob that already live here.

 

The time has come for us to re-prioritise. Let us get the basics such as food production, education, health and national security correct before we move on to the more esoteric accomplishments.

MND wishes Ivor Archie well... BUT

Jan 22, 2008

It is without doubt that Justice Ivor Archie is qualified and competent to hold the position of Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago and as such the MND wishes the new Chief Justice well.

 

It is unfortunate though that this appointment has been met with so much disquiet from many quarters as this office requires national confidence and support at this time.

 

It is even more unfortunate that there is a perception of arbitrariness in the selection process. It is the President's call.

 

This argument is raised everytime a new Chief Justice is appointed. So it has been and continues to be a matter of concern on both sides of the Lower House of Parliament. 

 

As such, the MND would like to recommend to the government and opposition as they ponder constitutional reform to consider electing all major offices such as President, Chief Justice, DPP and Commissioner of Police by special majority vote in the Lower House of Parliament.

 

This method will go some distance in removing the stigma of political bias in the appointment of these very important offices and will give the Parliament the opportunity to vet prospective office holders on behalf of the citizens they represent whilst going a long way towards strethening our young democracy.

Political Leader's Speech at Launch

Oct 29, 2005

Once upon a time there was a twin Island State, called Trinidad and Tobago, and it used to be the most glorious place on earth. Many blessings were bestowed upon this Caribbean nation…. Beautiful beaches, breath-taking ranges, streams, hills and waterfalls. An abundance of natural resources that would bring untold wealth and prosperity. A people that are extremely sociable, hardworking, intelligent, humorous and high-achieving, known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace.

[ full article ]

More Position Statements >

Dec 31, 2007	Education and Community Hold the Key to Crime Reduction
Dec 18, 2007	Season's Greetings
Nov 09, 2007	MND congratulates the PNM
Nov 01, 2007	Murder rate
Oct 15, 2007	MND not to contest the 2007 poll
Oct 07, 2007	In response to our critics
Oct 03, 2007	MND to go it alone
Oct 01, 2007	Election 2007
Sep 12, 2007	The DNA Legislation
Sep 12, 2007	Political Funding
Sep 11, 2007	Meeting Electricity Demand
Sep 04, 2007	Condolences
Aug 23, 2007	Response to 2007/2008 Budget
Aug 18, 2007	Andre Monteil cleared of any wrongdoing
Aug 14, 2007	Budget 2007/2008
Jul 31, 2007	Walkabout
Jul 09, 2007	Murder spree continues - the Minister has failed
Jun 17, 2007	MND Committed to the Environment
Jun 03, 2007	Crime, Corruption, Stupidity, now Terrorism
May 19, 2007	Our Foolish Prime Minister
May 18, 2007	PNM's Cronies and Sleaze
May 18, 2007	MND - DECENTRALISATION THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE CITIZENS
May 17, 2007	Poverty on the Rise
Apr 14, 2007	Freedom Rally
Apr 10, 2007	Letter to the DPP
Apr 09, 2007	SEA and Education Standards
Apr 08, 2007	Sexual Deviance in Politics
Apr 01, 2007	Pension
Mar 21, 2007	Who is watching our watchwords? - Productivity
Mar 20, 2007	Tribute to LLoyd Best
Mar 18, 2007	MND on Unity talks with COP
Mar 18, 2007	Proportional Representation the way forward
Feb 09, 2007	The question of Manning this Government
Feb 09, 2007	Who is Manning enough to call the real crime
Jan 29, 2007	MND calls for Unification against decay of our Society
Jan 25, 2007	MND condemns action against Constitutional and civic rights
Jan 10, 2007	Hanging; A backward step
Jan 01, 2007	Happy New Year
Dec 22, 2006	Seasons Greetings
Dec 18, 2006	Energy Crisis Looms
Dec 16, 2006	354 Murders in One Year Still Totally Unacceptable
Dec 16, 2006	Advertising Campaign
Dec 15, 2006	We Told You So
Dec 15, 2006	Don't Touch the Savannah until Ash Wednesday
Dec 14, 2006	Manning gives away our National Patrimony
Dec 08, 2006	Make Smelter Issue and Election Issue
Dec 07, 2006	Poll Results
Nov 22, 2006	Calamity of Rising food prices
Nov 21, 2006	Energy Myopia
Oct 26, 2006	Does Trinidad and Tobago have a clear foreign policy?
Oct 18, 2006	A Glass of Cold Water
Oct 18, 2006	Lest we Forget!
Oct 18, 2006	Lotto Energy Prices
Oct 09, 2006	Shame Shame Shame!!!!
Oct 03, 2006	MND calls for Implementation of the 15 year old PNM Health Reforms
Sep 19, 2006	Creation of new National Airline
Sep 04, 2006	Should we invite the IMF now?
Aug 22, 2006	New Constitution Does Not Foster Greater Democracy
Aug 21, 2006	Public Meeting
Aug 10, 2006	MND on Inflation
Jul 24, 2006	Constitutional crisis or just stupidity at work
Jul 12, 2006	Thank You Minister Imbert
Jun 28, 2006	MND calls on Joseph to resign
Jun 26, 2006	Congratulations to Soca Warriors
Jun 23, 2006	Congratulations Soca Warriors
Jun 02, 2006	Beware the Devil’s Excrement
May 29, 2006	Probe UDECOTT Now
May 28, 2006	LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS POSTPONED BECAUSE OF FEAR OF DEFEAT
May 17, 2006	MND Walks from Tripartite Agreement
May 11, 2006	MND not part of DNA
May 11, 2006	THE PRIME MINISTER IS OUT OF CONTROL
May 10, 2006	Intrigue and Corruption in the Justice System
Apr 21, 2006	Three parties unite
Apr 21, 2006	NAR, MND and DPTT join forces
Apr 20, 2006	MND wants two terms for PM
Apr 20, 2006	MND gives insight into plans for T&T
Apr 20, 2006	New party vows to make crime top priority
Apr 07, 2006	An open letter to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago
Apr 01, 2006	Sean Luke Support
Mar 31, 2006	NGOs in Crisis
Mar 22, 2006	UK Cops, TT Robbers
Mar 12, 2006	PM retains veto on appointment of CoP
Feb 24, 2006	Shameful Prime Minister
Feb 11, 2006	UNC set to become an Indian PNM
Feb 05, 2006	The Maddingness Continues Unabated
Jan 27, 2006	Investigation necessary
Jan 25, 2006	PNM's Plot
Jan 20, 2006	Government’s Crime Plan a Corruption Diversion
Jan 18, 2006	Congrats to Chilean and Liberian Leaders
Jan 13, 2006	Crime
Jan 13, 2006	OSHA
Jan 06, 2006	Armed Helicopters and the Drug Trade
Jan 04, 2006	Gun Amnesty
Jan 03, 2006	Government's Response to Combat Helicopters
Dec 30, 2005	Day of Thanksgiving and Renewal
Dec 28, 2005	Enough is Enough
Dec 19, 2005	Christmas Message
Dec 16, 2005	Oropouche Report
Dec 14, 2005	The New Hospital
Dec 10, 2005	Political Duty vs. Professional Choice
Nov 20, 2005	On Crime Talks and Legislation
	View all >

 

Community News

Oct 21, 2008	Saving the PNM from the PNM
Oct 21, 2008	Mr PM, we can't take much more
Jul 08, 2006	Fundraising Dinner
Jun 29, 2006	Community interaction
Mar 08, 2006	International Women's Day
Jan 25, 2006	Leptospirosis
Jan 10, 2006	UNC Chairman on Corruption Charges
Jan 10, 2006	Another PNM Minister before the Courts on Corruption Charges
Nov 26, 2005	Brian Charles Lara makes another contribution to National Development
Nov 18, 2005	Congrats Soca Warriors
	View all >

 

Select Speeches

Oct 30, 2005	Education
Oct 29, 2005	Political Leader's Speech at Launch
Oct 29, 2005	Mandy's Speech at Launch
Oct 29, 2005	MND Youth Officer Speech
Oct 28, 2005	Deputy Chairman's Speech
	View all >