The Freedom Chambers

The call for Panday to hand over the reins of leadership to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at the UNC’s meeting of delegates, underscores the weakening grip he has on the Indo-Trini base. A few years ago, this would be virtually unthinkable. Such a robust internal challenge from a mere party delegate to the leader is a sign of the times. Things have changed a lot since the heydays of PM Panday.

I have just returned from a pub full of inquisitive cricket fans in London, after the latest victory by team T&T in the Champions League Twenty/20 in Hyderabad, India. It is a shock to most to know that Indo-Trinidadians comprise the single largest ethnic group, but Ganga’s team has prompted most foreigners to Google-search and inquire about our amazing and rich racial diversity.

I read about the untimely passing of Ken Fitz-Andrews and it added to the cold chill here in London.  I knew Ken and had come to respect him as a caring, patriotic and proud man. He was destroyed because he could not stomach the corruption he was seeing at UTT where he was the Vice President of Finance.

The Uff Commission of Enquiry has all the hallmarks of a carefully-orchestrated political conspiracy. One caller to Dale and Tony’s popular morning radio talk show linked the fiasco to the premature resignation of former AG, Annisette George, who quietly resigned without any explanation. Could this be why she resigned?

I agree with AG John Jeremie that there is a need for “a more sophisticated justice system …… for the delivery of swift justice” but this can be a dangerous political slogan.  What we have to be careful about however is the erosion of the independence of the judiciary and the dangerous possibility

Writing this weekly column is a burdensome hobby, but a large part of what inspires me to write it is the appreciative comments and feedback and constructive criticism I receive from readers.

If life in our beloved country had not become so frightening because of the rampant and serious crimes, murders, robberies, kidnapping, rapes and corruption in places high and low, our country would still have been the paradise it once was. Now it seems some are beyond the reach of the law.

"The essence of the agreement between the Prime Minister and Mr Abu Bakr, on behalf of the Jamaat, was that certain advantages would be given to the Jamaat out of State property, in return for securing voting support for the Prime Minister’s political party. In the opinion of the board, this was corrupt within the meaning and i

It is known, from observations in the courts, and the shenanigans of the judiciary, that justice comes at a high price, not necessarily financially. Many a time we have seen culprits walk because of some demented opinion by a magistrate or judge... case in point, the Brad Boyce trial.

If acting Police Commissioner Philbert is as serious about solving crime as I think he is, he must deal with the simple problems that can be solved without foreign consultants. People lose confidence in the Police Service when things that make no sense continue unabated without any credible explanation. A few common-sense solutions to a few common problems must be considered.

Due to the high amount of hits on the site - some 50,000 per month - spammers have gathered. This month and last month, some low life with nothing better to do, joined the site and decided to post porn.

That Spammers have descended on us, is not all bad. It means we're popular enough for spammers to want to chuck their spam at.

This editorial in the Guardian 2009-08-22  is unbelievable. The language used suggests a serious lack of understanding for the nature of the Privy Council and what a Constitution is.

I live on an island, but my feet had not touched the sand for three years. I had not allowed the sea water to swirl me about. I had not driven to Maracas at midnight to watch the moon reflected in the moving inky slate of water, or wanting to possess the swell of the green hills. The hold-ups, murders, reckless drivers and a punishing degree, kept me away.

Minister Colm Imbert is responsible for three projects that have eased the strain on many citizens. I refer to the interchange, the water taxis and the much-improved Tobago ferry service. The traffic gridlock was the cause of much stress and anxiety. Now, the situation on evenings heading out of Port-of-Spain has noticeably eased up with a saving of at least 20-30 minutes in travel time.

For quite a few weeks now, I've been thinking of what it means to elect people to form a Government. The more I thought, the more questions kept coming into my head. Questions which needed to be answered. The source of my answers were primarily Google searches, byut also from various other websites and some books.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) resorted to paid advertisements, last week, to refute the allegations of racial imbalance and discrimination in the higher levels of the public service. The ad is mischievous and misleading. This expenditure could fund a study to determine why Indo-Trini public servants cannot seem to progress beyond a certain level in the service.

This morning (2009-07-26) I am moved by the Trinidad Express triangulating on the ridiculous situation in Health Services dong on dee Rock. I’ll excerpt from core pieces of the Express – but note, that does not mean I support all the opinions expressed. (photos are hyperlinked from TT Express with full credits given to the Express).

If you’re waiting for a court judgment that declares that someone was a victim of racial discrimination, before you believe racial discrimination exists, you’re in for a long wait, for no one can prove racial discrimination. All a citizen can show is that he was treated unequally or differently, when compared with other similarly circumstanced people.

The fiasco of Gail Merhair’s vote in favour of the Government, which allowed it to postpone local government elections for yet another year, would be laughable, were it not for the serious issue involved. Senator Merhair’s logic has been exposed by all and sundry as being fundamentally flawed.

The vote of no confidence in Attorney General John Jeremie, passed by the Law Association, was simplistically condemned by Minister Colm Imbert as a political attack on the PNM, because a small handful of lawyers with known political affiliations attended.

PM Manning’s attitude towards crime has always been one of casual indifference. His flippancy is manifested in public statements that constantly seek to downplay the true state of social decadence and the chaotic breakdown in law and order. As head of the government, his attitude will inform the priority and policy of his administration towards crime.

A friend recently described Trinidad and Tobago as “a failed state with a little bit of money.” What will happen when that money done is the burning question that we must all ponder. The country has slipped into a state of anarchy. There is absolutely no respect for the rule of law, and the will of the bandit now prevails.

The terse tone in the exchange between AG John Jeremie and former DPP Geoffrey Henderson must be a cause for concern. The nation owes Mr Henderson a huge debt of gratitude. The pressure applied by the AG was intense, and cannot be casually dismissed, because it was being applied in sensitive, high-profile matters involving opposition politicians/supporters.

Last week, I had the opportunity to observe the British system of criminal justice in operation. One of the judges allowed me to sit with him and observe the proceedings. The trial concerned a robbery that was committed six months ago. The trial was concluded in one day and the convicted offender will be sentenced this week.

The victory in the Privy Council for the Maha Sabha, Sat Maharaj, the Islamic Relief Centre and Inshan Ishmael, in the Trinity Cross case, was the culmination of a marathon journey for symbolic and substantial equality. [Site admin note: read the judgment at the end of Anand's commentary]