Religion as Politics
Posted: Friday, May 31, 2002
EDITOR: It seems like most members of the Hindu community are quite content to let some sectors of their religion be used as a political instrument in the support of partisan political interests. The events of the last week, the open political attacks, venomous rhetoric and subsequent threats, all on a religious platform, on what was supposed to be a holy and sacred occasion, has yet to draw any condemnation from Hindus. I am speaking here of the kind one Hindu group got from other Hindus for blessing the Prime Minister recently and they had to defend their action for so doing.
Even more remarkable is the resurfacing of the Trinity Cross debate after a muted silence for the last 6 years. It seems like using religion as a political weapon is not a sacred cow for some, and it should surprise none when it becomes treated as part of the cut and thrust of the murkiness and bitterness that often passes as politics in this nation. It then becomes part of the problem in the society and not a solution.
KURT GARCIA
Mucurapo Rd
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Perceptions in Arima
Posted: Saturday, May 25, 2002
EDITOR: Perceptions are also often times created by those who scream the loudest when they are at the receiving end of it. Case in point is the Businessmen of the Arima area who were seen and heard clapping quite loudly when Mr Panday gave them his version of matters currently under investigations. The perception created is that they believe Mr Panday's side of the story. They should not now be surprised when people say Businessmen are corrupt and involved in illegal activities. Probably they are just believing somebody's side of a story also and showing support for it, just like what was being done in Arima.
Cindy Williams
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Remembering Maestro
Posted: Saturday, May 11, 2002
EDITOR: Sometimes when you observe some of the activities that takes place in national life, Maestro statement of 25 odd years ago "Mr Trinidadian don't really know what dey want" rings true.
One minute TTUA is complaining about to much security, next they are claiming that there is to little. One minute some are saying that Anaconda is oppressive, next minute some areas are calling for more Anaconda.
The UNC say the government is illegal, but they are busy giving them advice and calling for meetings. Mr Panday says people should not play politics with the vendors, last time the Vendors called on him for help, the head of the Vendors Association ended up as his party's election candidate.
Trini's say children should do what is right and proper, the Police say the phone call was improper, Mr Manning says he would do it again.
KURT GARCIA
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PM called police station to pull rank?
Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2002
By Amon Hotep
First we know that the person in question was Patrick Manning's driver while he was in opposition.
From the Express report, the man is not presently working for the PM.
I do not believe that politicians like Mr Manning are so concerned about ex-employees.
It seems that the PM panicked upon hearing that his former driver was 'arrested' as he was under his employ. The PM wanted to know what the ex-driver was involved in that could have probably implicated him. He may have also been concerned about the Opposition's use of this 'arrest', or wondered if what he was hearing was a ploy by the opposition to discredit him.
Manning is aware of the concerns raised during his former tenure when a car once used by him was sold and ended up in the hands of a drug dealer.
I know the PNM party is filled with political gofers that normally do the hierarchy's bidding. Patrick Manning would have certainly known how to get matters like that dealt with incognito since he was used to many people coming to him for favors.
An inexperienced politician may have tried that as a display of power. During the former days of the PNM where most of the media were under state control and PNM politicians felt secure in power, we did have instances where ministers displayed that type of arrogance.
But Manning is very mindful that he is under intense scrutiny from the media and he is standing on shaky political ground. He may have simply panicked.
He may have been concerned that the opposition party was trying to embarrass him and he called the police station to be forewarned.
I do not believe that PM Patrick Manning called the police station upon hearing that his former driver was detained to get the police to dismiss charges as many persons are claiming. That simply does not make sense.
Although the police denied the claims that the PM tried to intervene in their duties, it would always appear as a display of highhandedness and arrogance when someone in a position like Mr. Manning personally calls to inquire into such a matter. I may have believed the charges of highhandedness if the PM felt secure in power.
Patrick Manning or even Basdeo Panday would not have personally taken that type of action in this era of mass media and political uncertainty. He did not try such when he thought he was politically secure so it had to be that he panicked and called the police station without consulting anyone.
I will not expect him to admit the truth because he would feel to do so would show the opposition and his supporters how vulnerable he is feeling.
Of course, the other story is that Patrick Manning is so secure in office and committed to ex-employees that he was willing to risk his job to help an ex-employee. Yeah right!
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Feeding Frenzy
Posted: Monday, May 6, 2002
EDITOR: It seems as the PNM has an Anaconda, the UNC now has a Macajuel. The reports of the massive food bill, variety and quantity of the ex Prime Minister and staff, before he left office seems to suggest that not only humans ate the food. What is also horrifying is the price that would have been paid for things like chicken and kingfish, once it is broken down and compared to regular prices. It makes you feel sad for the poor. Add this to the Mannings capers and I think this is a classic case of feeding at the public trough.
Jasper Webster
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A Powerful Soldier
Posted: Saturday, May 4, 2002
EDITOR: If I am to believe ex-Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, it seems that the head of the household at the PM's residence, a soldier, has a seemingly extraordinary amount of individual power not available to any other public servant and not even the normal checks and balances on spending tax-payers monies that all others are subjected to.
How else can one explain the soldier/public servant buying two Mercedes Benz worth millions, without a PM's knowledge and then spend approximately 200 thousand worth of gourmet food in a 2 month period when there was no PM living in the household, according to the words of Mr. Panday, all on his own imitative.
There are some strange things that happened in the PM's residence lately and this must certainly be one of them, and taxpayers deserve an explanation.
KURT GARCIA
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When robberies mean bigger business
Posted: Saturday, May 4, 2002
Staff Report
About a month ago our sources told us that a high-ranking official of the Downtown Owners and Merchant Association (DOMA) met with a businessman from England who deals with the installation of cameras and they discussed the possible installation of cameras in and around Port of Spain, like some parts of England.
On the weekend of the 28th of April there was the Reggae concert and following the concert it was reported in the news that there were three robberies in P.O.S. One of the robberies was committed at a store that curiously is always being robbed just before there is a call by the City's merchant association for tighter monitoring of the crime situation. They even featured one businesswoman crying. (Sure way to appeal to mass emotions)
But during this recent report on the robberies, which were blamed, on the participants of the reggae concert, the victims all spoke of being robbed several times during the month. This was the first we were hearing of several robberies during the month. In fact they made the present situation appear to be a crime spree.
For some reason they lumped these three robberies together with those that took place during the month and bombarded the public via the media with these stories.
By the end of the week the Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee announced that he was meeting with Mr Aboud who, as the chairman of the merchants association (DOMA) always appears on the media ‘highlighting’ the ‘crime’ situation in P.O.S. They were meeting to discuss the ‘installation of cameras’ in the city as part of a government ‘crime-fighting’plan. This plan, financed by the government would be costing us the taxpayers six million dollars.
Guess who will profit from the camera deal?
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One Way National Unity
Posted: Wednesday, May 1, 2002
Dear Editor
I would just like to comment on what many people have always said about Mr Panday and his National Unity rhetoric. They say it was never genuine and he was also never able to define it, and are asking how the recent acceptance by former UNC MP Ralph Maraj of a job with the Manning administration is not viewed as National Unity in action but is being termed by Mr Panday as a 'betrayal'. Did he consider Lasse and Griffith as 'traitors' while he worked with them for several years?
Thank You.
Cindy Williams
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