“[…] All of these are instances of police officers enforcing a law which does not exist. There is no law which says you cannot be on the road after 8pm, no law which says you can only go to the grocery if absolutely necessary, no law which empowers the police …
Read More »MSJ: Police roadblocks are more nuisance than useful; Griffith: We’re saving lives
“[…] As has been repeatedly stated by the Prime Minister, ‘Stay at Home’ is an appeal to the good sense of citizens to do the right thing. However, it is not a legal requirement. The TTPS therefore cannot stop anyone from being in their car or force anyone to turn …
Read More »MSJ: Gov’t ‘recovery team’ lacks creative minds; NJAC: ‘Human factor’, ‘small business’ missing
MSJ: “Regrettably, the composition of the ‘Recovery Team’ does not suggest that the opportunity to bring about solutions to these problems will be seized. The MSJ does not have any problem with the bona fides of any member of the Recovery Team. The issue is that of balance. “It is …
Read More »MSJ: Education Ministry’s proposed online schooling will exacerbate inequalities
“[…] We are deeply concerned that the decision by the Ministry of Education to implement a programme of home-based learning conducted by teachers using an ‘online platform’ will seriously discriminate against the children whose parents are either unemployed or whose incomes are barely able to put food on the table. …
Read More »Why the T&T Budget always disappoints
“As a people we are not part of any budget preparation which would determine our destiny for the next fiscal year. Why all this secrecy? “Why is there no participation by the ordinary citizens? Why don’t we have a date clearly identified for Budget presentation every year?” The following Letter …
Read More »Rebellion in the ranks: Sunity looks at conditions that give rise to political outsiders
The US reality TV show now playing on screens everywhere as The Republican Primaries, brings to a head some very large questions about the nature of the democratic political system and its capacity for delivering the promises of democracy. This American Spring of Republican rebellion has caught the US political …
Read More »Plantocracy v People power: A political case for the union movement
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) party organiser Akins Vidale makes a case for the Trade Union Movement (TUM) to be seen as a viable political third party: The pats on the back have been too many to count since the 2013 Local Government National Debate. However, on too many occasions, …
Read More »Doctor, my goldfish has epilepsy: The problem with T&T Governance
I had been considering several topics to write on and then inspiration (if I can call it that) came by the way of an ill-conceived attempt to stir my sense of humour. The message on my phone read as follows: I phoned the vet the other day and said, “I …
Read More »Election overview: Everybody wins and loses; especially COP
There were victory speeches and angry finger pointing up and down Trinidad last night as five political parties assessed the figures from yesterday’s Local General Elections and decided that either their team had won or the voters were the real losers. PNM political leader Keith Rowley had most to be …
Read More »Kamla’s ‘Dear David’ break-up letter reveals inner turmoil
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has always taken care to present a tempered, conciliatory tone whenever she addressed the media; so perhaps her PR staff was busy on Father’s Day when a response was needed to MSJ leader David Abdullah’s departure. There were no typos but the PM’s tenor suggests that …
Read More »MSJ’s out of the closet and ready to party
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) is out of the closet and set to party like it’s 1937 at tomorrow’s Labour Day celebrations—1937 was the year that late trade union leader Tubal “Buzz” Butler’s Fyzabad address shook the country. MSJ Political Leader David Abdullah played the role of party pooper …
Read More »MSJ makes partial withdrawal from PP
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) has shown its clear dissatisfaction with the Government—sort of. MSJ’s political leader, David Abdullah, will not attend the People’s Partnership rally on Thursday due to unease with various governance issues and he also revealed that his party will withdraw from several boards. But there …
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