“[…] Tobagonians are free to apply for HDC housing in Trinidad. However, no Trinidadian can ever apply for housing in Tobago under the THA as constituted, not even if you are of Tobagonian parentage. As a consequence, several Tobagonians are the proud owners of houses in Tobago as well as …
Read More »AG asks court to examine Duke’s THA and PSA posts, union site says political and union roles ‘inextricably linked’
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Faris Al-Rawi has turned to the High Court for an interpretation of the Tobago House of Assembly Act and, specifically, a determination as to whether Watson Duke can legally continue in his dual role of THA deputy chief secretary and Public Service Association …
Read More »Dear Editor: Did Watson Duke not take the THA oath of office by accident or design?
“[…] While reading the oath of office, at the swearing-in ceremony for members of the Tobago House of Assembly on Thursday 9 December, 2021, Watson Duke uttered the words, ‘I will bear true faith and allegiance to Tobago and Trinidad’. “This is clearly not what the oath says…” The following …
Read More »Daly Bread: A triumph of legitimacy; PDP’s Farley gave good ‘calpet’ to PNM bullies
Farley Augustine and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) have interrupted the alarming descent of Trinidad and Tobago into an authoritarian one-party state and I thank them for that. Having comprehensively routed the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in the Tobago House of Assembly elections, in the backyard of its leader …
Read More »Daly Bread: Thinking about Dukes… and Wasa
There is Watson Duke and Winston Duke, both Tobago born. Watson is famous in Trinidad and Tobago. As the star of Black Panther, the fame of Winston is international. While we are thinking entertainment, we cannot forget the much-loved calypsonian the Mighty Duke, the late Kelvin Pope. One might …
Read More »Media Monitor: French tongues, Spanish villages and stress for radio and TV presenters
Watson Duke, would-be prime minister of Tobago, held a news conference recently. Not for the first time with this high-profile personality from the sister isle, things did not exactly go swimmingly. I say ‘sister isle’ but for how much longer, I wonder. Trinidad and Tobago remains one country but that’s …
Read More »NJAC suggests ‘council of elders’ to solve THA impasse that ‘can have serious repercussions’ for T&T
“[…] NJAC shares the concern of the wider society, particularly the people of Tobago, about the present situation in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). “It is NJAC’s view that such a situation inevitably creates an environment of political instability that can have serious repercussions, not only for Tobago, …
Read More »Daly Bread: Motorcade democracy—Nomination Day Carnival and the Duke of hazard
The Nomination Day exercise for the candidates, who are standing in the General Election on August 10, took place ten days ago with deejay decibels and drumming. Since then, the throwing of political ‘dus in we face’—about which I wrote last week—has continued thicker and sometimes more polluted. The mini, …
Read More »St Joseph, Moruga/Tableland, Chaguanas East… Rishi considers 2020’s marginal seats
As we go through five weeks of intense political campaigning, in the lead up to the 10 August General Election, expect to hear the word ‘marginal’ used a lot—be it ‘marginal seat’, ‘marginal constituency’ and, the perennial favourite, ‘key marginal’. ‘Marginals’ are a vital part of our electoral landscape, as …
Read More »Of Independence, sedition and legislative violence: how elitist laws have damaged the nation
Sedition, careful, careful how you talking … hey hey! Sedition, careful, careful whey you walking Incompetent idiots have genuine patriots Always under escort in the sedition court. The Mighty Sparrow (Sedition) The Sedition Act, used recently to charge Watson Duke (and earlier Michael Seales and Abu Bakr), is a dangerous …
Read More »NWU: Duke detention ‘meant to intimidate and cower’ threats to ‘political elite’
“It is disturbing that the police have not made a comprehensive statement on the issue which clarifies the nature of the so-called investigation. Information in the public sphere seems to suggest that Mr [Watson] Duke is being investigated for statements made months ago and which are said to be seditious. …
Read More »Noble: The Arsonists of T&T; from Kamla and the Judiciary, to the PM’s Office, Stuart and Gary
Can a nation experience vertigo? The feeling of not just dizziness but when either your head or the room is spinning but you are not sure which? We are battered into unease almost daily by persons who seek to burn down our institutions or destroy our sense of calm. Arson …
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