Category: pnm

The Political Floods [rant]

August 5, 2010 by Taran Rampersad

The media has been flooded with politics regarded flooding. The new Prime Minister has been flying around in a helicopter and taking tours of the flooded areas - inflicting her whims on the local elected representatives as she sees fit to the chagrin of just about anyone who wants to be chagrined. The rains come, Acts of God as any Insurance company would have in their legal documents, but I'll note that there doesn't seem to be a large proportion of people going to their respective places of worship and discussing rain with their Creator. Maybe that helicopter is getting in the way.

I've driven through quite a bit of flooding - especially in areas that have been under the control of the UNC for quite some time. And from my own experience, there is some truth to what Patrick Manning, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (and perhaps the man to usurp the usurper in the PNM) once said. Paraphrased, bad planning causes flooding. And in areas that I have been to - that I have intimate knowledge of - such lack of planning has been encouraged by UNC representatives who seem quite content to get votes at the cost of poor planning. You know who you are. {Read more}

Local Goverment Elections 2010 results and manifestos

July 28, 2010 by Edmund Gall

The local government manifestos released by the various parties for the elections on 26 Jul 2010 may be found below:

• People's Partnership: http://www.unc.org.tt/downloads/10-peoples-localgov-manifesto-2010/downl...
• People's National Movement: [PDF to be provided] http://www.pnm.org.tt/morenews.php?ach_id=%27152%27

You can get some details about each LG area (e.g. contact details) from the official Ministry of Local Government website and this article posted by Christian Khabay on knowtnt.com. 

According to the Trinidad Express, 386,830 out of the 998,787 total electors voted in Monday's local government election (LGE), giving a 39% turnout.  This was marginally higher 2003's turnout, which was allegedly 38%.  I can find no trustworthy LGE figures online - the EBC doesn't publish them.  Perhaps they, like the public, don't think it's important - but, then, why do they publish the THA election figures (which is like Tobago's LGE)?  If you think the info on Wikipedia is correct, think again: their 378,637 figure for voter turnout is 42% the total electors from the EBC's Annual List 2003 - the Express story quotes the EBC's current Communications Manager, Leslie Fitzpatrick, as stating the turnout back then was 38%.  So, as with anything from Wikipedia, take their data with a bit of salt. {Read more}

...The Smelter?

July 26, 2010 by Taran Rampersad

When Dr. Rowley, leader of the Opposition, starts asking questions about the proposed Aluminium Smelter, I scratch my head. There has been so much outcry in the past about it, whether  it be about the environment or the failure to provide jobs to residents in the area where the smelter itself is planned, enough so that it's likely that this was one of  the political failures of the People's National Movement (PNM) and the past leader of the PNM - Patrick Manning.

Thus it seems odd that the Leader of Opposition would attempt to use this as a platform. Nevermind that this was basically an UNC initiative that the PNM put in place, nevermind that it will allegedly provide jobs, nevermind that the former PNM based government never answered questions about its economic viability. It's the reversal that is interesting, the fact that though no answers were given by the PNM lead government - enough so where the former Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, is on record as saying something along the lines of, "we don't care what the people think".

But then, people do have a short attention span and can shore their own perspective with soap bubbles if necessary.

On the flip side, as I drove to MovieTown in Port of Spain on Saturday, I couldn't help but notice a piece of People's Partnership political detritus on a billboard - stating that they would stop the smelter and toss laptops from the Red House. Even as the media has done little to ask the hard questions about the government's laptop plan for SEA students, I also thank Dr. Rowley for pointing out that there was a political promise made regarding the smelter.

A promise that there hasn't been much public information shared on. {Read more}

A review of T&T's first televised political debate

July 23, 2010 by Edmund Gall

I've just witnessed T&T's first national political debate prior to an election, televised live on CNMG's C TV (find the recorded video here).  Here are my initial views.

First, I must, like others I've spoken with via facebook during the show, commend the T&T Debates Commission (TTDC) for facilitating the event, CNMG's C TV for broadcasting it over-the-air in T&T and over the Internet via their website (for free - take note Guardian Media Group), and the PNM and People's Partnership for agreeing to participate in this historic event. While critical analysis will follow in the hours and days ahead, constructive or otherwise, I am very grateful to all parties for taking such an important step to advance our political culture.

Here are some of the things I thought worked well.  The TTDC published the debate format, and rules and guidelines for the participants, moderator, questioners and studio audience on their website so the public could assess beforehand.  The TTDC also recognised (somewhat) the worth of social media in today's public relations strategies and created its own facebook page (as did C TV with its own pages for C News Live and First Up, their flagship programmes). {Read more}

Transcending ATM

July 15, 2010 by Taran Rampersad

When I caught the headline, Rowley Slams Kamla for 'ATM' remark, I couldn't help but note that this was largely a style issue. And Dr. Rowley does have a point - the remark to CARICOM could be seen as flippant.

The reality, though, is that Trinidad and Tobago has to see about itself first - something that other CARICOM nations have said in various ways within their own sovereign contexts. Barbados's stance on immigration was not too different, and while it caused an uproar everyone knew that Barbados was well within its rights to assure that immigration laws were enforced. Would that Trinidad and Tobago did the same.

But the ATM issue brings to mind a review I had to do on a junior software developer at one time: 'To be a better team member, Mr. X needs to become more self sufficient.'

CARICOM nations, individually, should practice that. And many of the smaller islands have at least moved in that direction, probably because money doesn't come free from anyone.

As it is, with the global economy as it has been and will be for the forseeable future, it's quite possible that CARICOM will go the way of the West Indies Federation... which is sad because if member states actually came up with and acted on regional plans as diligently as the elected political representation at CARICOM did for their elections, the region might actually move forward.

But they don't.

Bubbles in the pot keep rising

July 1, 2010 by Edmund Gall

Like many of you, I'm quite distracted lately by the FIFA World Cup 2010 tournament in South Africa, so I haven't been as prolific in my writing as before. Here are some brief thoughts on issues that crossed the online forums I've browsed over the past two weeks.

Local Government Elections

• Official claims are that it was scheduled for July to halt the damage to our democracy that the annual postponement over the past 4 years has caused.
• Some analysts have welcomed the snap Local Government Elections, while one person has warned it's too soon.
• The average citizen can't help but admire how convenient it is to host this while the People's Partnership is basking in the glow of its General Election success before the bad news of their first National Budget is delivered; healing democracy may be a fringe benefit.

SAPA and potential disconnect? {Read more}

• The Hon. Multiculturalism Minister Winston Peters complained that SAPA is too small for the money spent: 'If you have a show in Trinidad and Tobago and you have 810 people, then you have a buss show.'
• However, the artists themselves, through ACTT, complained that the NAPA in Port of Spain didn't have enough smaller auditoriums with maximum seating capacity for 400 patrons.

Patos Lives

June 8, 2010 by Taran Rampersad

Sitting at a bar across from Diamond Motors on Royal Road (next to Seon's Beer Garden), I was listening to a long-time friend talk about the run around they have been getting from Guardian Life in cashing out a rather small investment.

Suddenly the blare of loudspeakers could be heard. Listening more carefully, I heard 'PNM'. The first thing I said was, "Did someone not tell the PNM that the election was over?"

Laughter. And then, as I saw the motorcade coming down to Royal Road from Carib Street, I said, "Patrick won't show up." I was corrected by a 7 year old.

'Look him dey!'

I got my camera out of the pickup and proceeded to snap. One must understand that it was prime time traffic on Royal Road and that on that small stretch there isn't that much of an audience. At first, the former Prime Minister seemed to be whistling. Then he seemed fuzzy and haggard - but the fuzzy came from being out of focus. As he neared Royal Road, he seemed to become more composed.

Finally, as he drew near, I shouted, "Come nah man, Patos, smile nah man!"

And he smiled. {Read more}

How can we hold politicians accountable? - Part 2

June 8, 2010 by Edmund Gall

I first asked this question in the run-up to the recent General Elections and got a few responses.  The general conclusion then was that voters only have the power to hold their representatives truly accountable when they stain their fingers in a polling station (or to a lesser extent in internal party elections, e.g. UNC, or leaving to form your own party, like COP).  This power becomes diminished when we revert to traditional voting patterns of supporting the status quo despite their poor performance.

A recent discussion on facebook has added to this discussion, so I'm throwing it back out for response.

The Original Poster (OP) on facebook said: "I have always supported accountability and transparency in public office.  My question to all who are now so rigid in this belief is: where was this strong requirement for accountability and 'holding government to their word' crusade during the last 8 years when the previous government was running this country with none of this?  Did anyone attempt to make a complaint?  Ask a question and got a satisfactory answer?  Approach a Minister or MP for answers or demand action?  Actually got in touch with a Minister or MP to ask a question or demand an action?  We must all hold the [People's Partnership] very accountable for their actions and promises, but be honest and remember this is something that no other government offered in the past." {Read more}

Re-Branding the PNM

May 29, 2010 by Christian Khabay

Where does the PNM go from here?

May 29, 2010 by Edmund Gall

What a week!  Before 24 May 2010, T&T was experiencing a drought in water and cricketing terms, and was racked in this weakened state by election fever.  After 25 May 2010, we got both rain and cricket, following a general election result that no professional pundit predicted.  So despite the WI senior men's cricket team snatched another defeat from the jaws of victory, the world seems to be unfolding as it should.

The People's Partnership's startling 29-12 election win means the scenario of T&T getting its first unelected Prime Minister has been postponed.  Taran Rampersad and BC Pires have each, in their unique ways, already recommended that we manage our expectations.  After such a stinging defeat, though, what are the options facing the People's National Movement? {Read more}