“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.” Aldous Huxley, English writer. In the present furore about selecting a new president, it appears that we, as a nation, and our leaders have rubbished our history. We …
Read More »Daly Bread: All farcical and tangled up—between an evasive Govt and an unattractive Opposition
Many readers will recall the political controversies in which President Anthony Carmona, the immediate predecessor of our current president, was involved—arising out of the purported exercise of powers that he thought he had. As a result, citizens hoped that the presidency would return to calmer waters, not made turbulent by …
Read More »Noble: Fixing our ‘superfluous’ mess; how the Judiciary, President, and Prime Minister stood up
Within the last two years, the world has had two pivotal moments: the arrival of Covid-19 and the development of the vaccine. The virus started small but has taken lives and wrecked economies, changing the way we live forever. Even though ‘Operation Warp Speed’ delivered vaccines way ahead of schedule …
Read More »Salaam: Mr President, don’t rush our children into adult decisions; why we should not lower voting age
“Good idea!” was my initial reaction when I read that President Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona is advocating that 16- and 17-year-old citizens have the right to vote for their leaders. I can think of no argument against involving youths in initiatives and activities, especially sporting and cultural ones, which require …
Read More »Daly Bread: Sabbatical or tactical? A look at Archie’s controversial leave and section 137
In a column published on 17 December 2017, I foretold that there was a political sub-plot by means of which Chief Justice Archie would be given a soft landing in March 2018. At that time, I also referred to talk that the Chief Justice would be going on extended leave …
Read More »Daly Bread: Prayers, miracles and reality; and the President Weekes masterstroke
Almost halfway through its innings and after plenty leave-alone punctuated by some ‘vooping’, the current PNM Government, has finally played a ball with the middle of the bat. The nomination of Madam Justice Paula Mae Weekes to be President of the Republic is an elegant stroke. Happily, the Leader of …
Read More »Fixin T&T: Show us the Balgobin report, let’s see what Justice Nelson’s made of
“Fixin’ T&T has taken note of reports that retired Justice Rolston Nelson may be the Dr Keith Rowley-led Government’s nominee to become the next president of our Republic. “Fixin’ T&T is deeply troubled by the apparent difficulty judges seem to have with being called upon to account for their actions.” …
Read More »Transparency needed! Dumas, Hart and Raymond urge Carmona to heed Uff’s procurement advice
“[…] Contracts, particularly large-scale ones, should not be awarded without elementary transparency so that the public can be assured of straight dealings. The appointment of the Procurement Regulator, albeit an employment contract, will be one of the most critical contract awards in the history of our Republic.” The following letter, signed by Afra Raymond, Reginald Dumas and …
Read More »Daly Bread: When ridiculous becomes normal; CoP’s ‘nonsensical’ statements on arrest
In the face of rampant violent crime, last week’s column asserted that it is wholly insufficient to believe, as the Government does, that we could merely rely on the Police Service as currently managed. On that same day, there was a forceful editorial in the Sunday Express newspaper which I …
Read More »When ‘keeping it real’ goes wrong; Marlene fired BEFORE starting job after bizarre swearing-in ceremony
Move over, Brent Sancho. Marlene McDonald set a new corbeau sweat record in public service after she managed to get fired before her first day on the job—and on the weekend to boot. #ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk… Machel Montano’s temper! Friday 30 June 2017 is likely to haunt Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley …
Read More »DALY BREAD: Why we’re right to challenge power—be it a Permanent Secretary, President or Chief Justice
In relation to the huge Marcia mess created by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC), there is no need to explain again the critical difference between the powers vested by law to deal with errant public officials and the complementary role of public opinion. Robust public opinion encourages accountability …
Read More »President Carmona installs gender-equal TTOC executive committee for 2017-2020
The new Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) committee, led by returning president Brian Lewis, was installed this morning by President Anthony Carmona ORTT SC at the Office of the President, St Ann’s. The committee, which has exactly six men and six women, was hailed as the first gender equal …
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