UNC Needs Reality Check

Oil rich nation Saudi Arabia which is far wealthier than Trinidad and Tobago in a clear depature from it's decade old generous welfare system has moved to slash subsidies due to the fall in oil prices.  Long accustomed to cheap utilities Saudi's were shocked when their government told them they have to pay extra for fuel, electricity, water and plane tickets. Prices on fuel products were increased by 50%. Saudi Finance Minister is quoted as saying "We have to rationalize unneccessary spending...this requires changes to focus on essential spending.

In light of this information citizens must question pronouncements made by the UNC Opposition Leader in criticizing the Dr. Rowley led PNM Government for first implementing small increases in the price of fuel and seeking to make savings in social programmes such as the food card and free school books for children.

The attempt by Mrs. Persad-Biessessar to blame the new PNM government for our economic woes in light of the excessive waste which occured under her stewardship and in light of prevailing global economic conditions has left many citizens in bewilderment. Is it that the irrational comments coming from the UNC camp is a glimpse of the disaster that awaited us had we retained them in Government?

If the UNC was truly serious about governance they will not at this time be criticizing the PNM Government for making neccessary cuts, they would instead be doing its own work in identifying additional areas of waste/unnecessary spending and pointing these out to the PNM Government.

What we are witnessing from the UNC Opposition is it's continued failures as a political vehicle. The UNC has never been a Government in waiting but a political party in waiting because they lack the necessary Governance philosophy to be a "constructive" alternative. The philosophy and politics of the UNC has always bordered on anarchism, rendering them politically handicap. Thus they often miss obvious opportunities to demonstrate their political worth to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Notwithstanding the recent bruising internal elections, one thing remains abundantly clear, that the UNC and its political leader are in dire need of a reality check.

Run-off vote from a run away government

In it's usual style of deceit and cunning the People's Partnership Government has chosen the vacation period of our Parliament to try and shove a piece of legislation down the electorate's throat. Legislation which will not only affect us during next year's general elections but for generations to come. The spokepersons for the People's Partnership Government has tried to mask and camouflage the seriousness of the run-off vote with fluffy things like two terms for Prime Minister and the right to re-call.

In the first instance Trinidad and Tobago has never had a problem with long serving Prime Ministers as Dr. Eric Williams is the only Prime Minister to ever serve more than two terms consecutively. After Dr. Williams the T&T electorate has exercised their franchise and removed sitting Prime Ministers, therefore stipulating two terms as if it's something we should be grateful for is like offering a bicycle to someone who owns a motor vehicle. 

The right to recall is another red herring as based on what is proposed it can only be enforced after three years of the election date, which means any misfits in office basically have 36 months to steal as much as they want and mismanage our affairs. After three years 2/3 of the electorate in that constituency must sign a petition if they wish to remove the MP, this petition must then be forwarded to the elections and boundaries commission and then a bi-election called. In a country where a court case takes 12 years to be completed and the Integrity Commission takes a whole year to begin questioning someone who has been accused of misconduct, you can see how convoluted the process to recall an MP would be. By the time we reach the stage of having a bi-election to remove the MP it will be the next general election.

The PP Government is not being truthful by not telling people all the countries they used as examples as having run-off elections are countries who use run-off elections to elect one person, usually an executive president. They do not use run-off elections to select every single MP. Nowhere in the Common Wealth is there any precedent for using run-off elections in a general election.

What the PP is proposing is that if there are 21 seats and PP wins 6, the PNM wins 14 and in 1 seat PP gets 35%, COP 20% and PNM 45% of the vote, the president cannot elect a new government or Prime Minister and Mrs. Persad-Biessessar and the current PP Government remains in office until a clear winner is announced in the contested seat. How on earth can that be democratic? How does that improve the democratic process for the average citizen? The only thing this run-off vote will do is cause political and economic instability and cause alienation and strife in the society. 

This run-off vote has the potential to cause violent civil disruptions the likes of what we are only accustomed to seeing on international news. If the PP Government has its way, we could very well see the end of a peaceful transfer of power after elections in Trinidad and Tobago and a constant case of political turmoil. This is what the legacy of the Kamla Persad-Biessessar People’s Partnership Government will be, a legacy of instability and chaos.

PM needs to buy a Thesaurus for Central Bank Governor

Last week Thursday at a meeting in San Juan, Dr. Rowley made the claim that the Central Bank Governor changed the system for the allocation of US dollars and it is this change that is causing the shortfall of US currency in the local economy.

The Central Bank Governor responded the Friday after, at a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce by saying he did not change the system, he merely amended it and made modifications to it.  I would just like to draw the attention of the Central Bank Governor to the following dictionary definitions:-

Amend:- (Verb) "to change......"

Modification:- (Noun) "a change made to something..."

Perhaps the Central Bank Governor should have consulted with an SEA student before standing in front of a group of well qualified business men, many of whom hold degrees and MBAs, to tell them that he did not "change" a system but merely "amended" it and made "modifications" to it.

In the meanwhile I would advise the Prime Minister who was instrumental in appointing the goodly gentleman to the post of Central Bank Governor to please buy him a Thesaurus this Christmas.

What is the purpose of camouflage law?

Can any of the legal luminaries in Trinidad and Tobago explain the purpose of having a law that prevents citizens from wearing camouflage clothing in Trinidad and Tobago? Both the UK and USA are countries that have vast military histories, have both engaged in World Wars and have active military operations currently across the globe, yet their citizens are free to wear camouflage clothing, while in Trinidad and Tobago, a country whose regiment has never fought an external threat, citizens are prohibited from wearing camouflage clothing. Why?

I have heard that its to prevent criminals from impersonating a soldier. That has to be the most stupid justification I have ever heard. What does it matter whether criminals impersonate a soldier or not? Furthermore why would any criminal want to impersonate a soldier unless they're completely stupid as they would stand out? Soldiers have no authority to arrest or question civilians outside an SOE. Even if God forbid the current Defense Amendment Bill is passed the soldiers will still have to be accompanied by a police officer if they are to make an arrest. So why would any citizen who has at least 5% knowledge of what his rights are entertain interacting with any batch of soldiers outside an SOE? If I hear a knock on my door at 1 am and I look out the window and see a batch of soldiers and no police officers, it does not matter whether they are bandits dressed as soldiers or real soldiers, I am calling the police!! Furthermore how does preventing citizens from wearing camouflage prevent rogue soldiers from renting out their uniforms as occurs under the existing law? 

Many times soldiers wear a green or red t-shirt, I'm surprised they have not banned us from wearing those too, the law is that stupid! Please, would our legislators use some initiative and relegate that stupid camouflage law to the obsolete bin? I think it is totally embarrassing to be living in a country where a 10 month old baby can be denuded in our airport by customs officials for wearing a camouflage pants with a teddy bear on it. I mean what was this 10 month old baby to do, impersonate a soldier and go put down a robbery on a nestles van? It is interesting that this is the same Customs which allowed large sums of US currency to be brought into this country undetected by certain individuals in the international football arena, Customs please get your priorities in order! Legislators please let commonsense reign!

The Convenient Race Card

There is a phenomenon emerging in Trinidad and Tobago that has me totally flabbergasted. Everyone in Trinidad and Tobago knows that the core support of the PNM are people of African descent and the core support of the UNC are people of East Indian descent. The phenomenon to which I refer to is that every time the PNM is voted out of office, even when their loss is as catastrophic as what took place in 2010, no one claims it's because of race but the minute the UNC receives any opposition or rejection from the electorate the first thing to come out the mouths of UNC pundits is race. Why? 

The entire country literally threw the PNM out of Parliament giving the UNC controlled PP Government an overwhelming majority in the Central Government along with the two Tobago seats, not a single UNC pundit said the results of this win was because of race. Two and a half years into their governance and several "missteps" dragging them down (Reshmi; unexplained and failed State of Emergency; Section 34; total lack of transparency and accountablity), the population is up in arms over the PP Government's performance just as they were up in arms over the Manning led PNM, only this time we are being told it's because of the Prime Minister and her Government Minister's race. Why? 

I feel sorry for my Tobago brothers and sisters, after voting overwhelming for the PNM in Tobago in the 2013 THA elections the UNC pundits are coming out from the wood works and accusing Tobago of voting based on race. Where were these individuals when Tobago gave the PP Government the two Tobago seats in 2010? Where were these individuals when Tobago voted out the PNM in 1980 and did not vote them back into power until the year 2000, a whole twenty years after? To see the UNC pundits cry race after the outcome of the 2013 THA elections not only solidifies why they deserved to lose, it also shows up their total lack of understanding where Tobagonians and Tobago culture is concerned. 

Even the Chairman of the Equal Opportunity Commission Dr. Indira Rampersad is making the colossal mistake of interpreting the Tobago vote as a race vote. She is quoted as saying "People are still focused on political parties and personalities as opposed to issues. It may not be just political parties and personalities. It may be another issue, an issue of ethnicity and race. These issues play out in T&T all the time and some people discount it as an issue." First of all as someone who is commissioner of the Equal Opportunity Commission I can't understand how the goodly Dr. could make such a biased and one sided nuanced statement and go unchallenged. If she is going to accuse Tobagonians of voting based on race then she has to equally accuse the UNC dominanted Partnership of having a race agenda in Tobago to ensure an ethnic influence comprised of the UNC support base. To accuse one ethnic group of voting based on race while absolving the other ethnic group of having any race motive discredits anything Dr. Rampersad says and she looses all appearances of objectivity. Dr. Rampersad's claim is also a two edge sword as it tacitly implies that the PP Government is not that multi-ethnic political party it is being touted to be but rather an Indo dominated political party with a few Non-Indos for cosmetic appearances, because if the People's Partnership was truly multi-ethnic then the issue of race would and should never arise.....over to you goodly Dr. 

It is also interesting that Dr. Rampersad did not see the following as pertinent issues for Tobagonians:- PP Government's total disrespect to Tobagonians by putting forward a bill regarding internal self government on the eve of an election, a bill that does not adequately address internal self government for Tobago and would deprive Tobago of it's resources via the stated 11 nautical miles; Ashworth Jack's inability to explain the funding of his home and provide sufficient evidence to appease Tobagonians that he is not receiving political favours behind closed doors which he undoubtedly would have had to repay; Ashworth Jack's further lack of integrity by refusing to observe the law of Trinidad and Tobago and file his declaration of assets and income with the Integrity Commission. For Dr. Rampersad to totally down play these issues and turn this into an election of race calls into question her own qualification of being able to adequately analyse political issues. For her to be aware of these various issues and say that Tobagonians voted on race and not issues is to insult the intelligence of Tobagonians, and I'm saying that if Dr. Rampersad was running for Chief Secretary of Tobago she too would have suffered a catastrophic loss and it would have nothing to do with her ethnicity. 

A twelve year old in Tobago can tell you that Tobagonians voting for a party they rejected for 20 years has nothing to do with the ethnic composition of the People's Partnership Government, but everything to do with the PP's misunderstanding of Tobago's culture. You cannot win votes in Tobago by bribing them with fancy ads, having helicopters invading the people's air space unnecessarily and you certainly do not win votes by attacking Tobagonians. Tobagonians hold it as their sacred right to criticize their own, as a Trini I learnt that the hard way when I went over there to work for some years. By attacking Orville London and Dr. Rowley on the most spurious of allegations the PP Government secured their own demise. Tobagonians although being part of a unitary state, do not recognise their leader as being that of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, their leader to govern Tobago affairs is the Chief Secretary. The PP Government's constant disregard for the THA and total disrespect they showed to Mr. London as well as the Prime Minister acting as if it was she contesting to be Chief Secretary and not Ashworth Jack all caused the severe beating the TOP suffered at the polls. 

So to the UNC pundits I say to you, the loss of the THA election had nothing to do with race and everything to do with your leader's colossal misunderstanding of Tobago's culture. Further to that, your convenient and constant reference to race every time the electorate rejects a politican of East Indian descent is not only distasteful to Tobagonians, but also to the Non-Indo electorate in Trinidad. If it is in the minds of the UNC pundits that as long as East Indian politicians do not control and dominate political life in Trinidad and Tobago it means the rest of the electorate are racist then I dare say, these pundits need to do some introspection because when they point a finger at others there are four fingers pointing right back at them.