Guest Columns

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by ex-PP Minister and NJAC member Embau Moheni on the death of Basil Davis and the subsequent outpouring of emotion in 1970, which led to one of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest funeral processions: On 26 February 1969, the Chief Servant Makandal Daaga—then Geddes …

What I established last week was that Trinidad and Tobago, like most small island states that were once colonised by imperial powers, relies heavily on imported foods for its sustenance. All our staples—grains (wheat, rice, maize), dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), sugar, edible oils, white potatoes, beans and pulses—come from …

Today we’re all West Indians. United under the maroon flag, we possess a power so magical that with a single win, we transformed Dwayne Bravo’s inanity into a global anthem of victory. Champion! Champion! Under the unity flag of West Indian triumph, however, lies the troubling West Indian reality of a …

The following letter on ArcelorMittal’s retrenchment of hundreds of Trinidad and Tobago employees was written by Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) education officer Bryan St Louis: Retrenchment is defined as the forced layoff of employees by a company usually to cut down or reduce payroll expenses. In our jurisdiction and in accordance …

Recently, there has been much noise over Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity to produce the foods that we eat. I use the word “noise” instead of discussion or debate because so much of what is said and written is uninformed. With the economy in full-blown recession and foreign exchange inadequate to …

Of all the plans being promoted by the Dr Keith Rowley administration, local government reform offers the greatest potential for revolutionary political change through decentralisation of power. But we would be a very naïve people indeed if we were to ignore the record and underestimate the great risk of it …

The dismissal of Marlene McDonald could be the start of something good, if it helps to shift the system towards more accountable power. If this were to happen, it would mark a real revolution. The more predictable outcome, however, is that her dismissal will stand as a new marker of …

Satirical columnist, BC Pires, offers an imitable tribute to Guardian Media chairman, Grenfell Kissoon: “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” – Mark Antony OUTSIDE the media, few people know or think much about the Guardian Media chairman, Grenfell Kissoon, and even those within the industry think little …

I must give credit to my colleague Earl Best for the title of this piece given that, on this rare occasion, he was faster out of the blocks than I was. The news late last night was that Housing Minister Marlene McDonald had been fired. Don’t pop that champagne just …

The following open letter to Prime Minister Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, which is titled ‘the leadership we require for these tough times’, was sent to Wired868 by author Keston K Perry: Dear Dr Rowley, It has just been six months since your entry into this office as the fourth head of …

Although I am not the architect of this design and did not create our plantation, I have none the less been waiting for you. You have posed many questions. Although the last six months has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably Trinbagonian. Ergo, some of my answers you will understand, …

Dr Keith Rowley’s bigger problem is not the UNC but the culture of the PNM of which he is so deeply a part. Honed and hammered by the 30 unbroken years in government from 1956 to 1986, the culture has shaped not only the PNM but the entire political system …