Mark Antony’s speech from Julius Caesar is worth recalling at this juncture in our country’s history. It speaks to how honourable men, seduced by the drama of the moment, can wreak great evil upon a nation. This is the sum of the events of 21 October in our Parliament; …
Read More »Daly Bread: Where are we now? Decapitated TTPS is cost of President’s actions on 11 August
Two weeks ago, the President of the Republic in her words ‘spoke to the issue of the substantive appointment of commissioner of police’ and confirmed that ‘an order of merit list was delivered on 11 August 2021 to the OTP and withdrawn almost immediately’. OTP is a reference to the …
Read More »Dear Editor: Is the Govt too afraid of the Opposition to introduce mandatory vaccines?
“[…] Having apparently exhausted every avenue of encouraging vaccination apart from the obvious one, the official stance appears to be shifting to ‘well, we tried’. “On an intellectual level, I know why this is the most expedient approach… [However] if our Government, elected to lead in the best interests of everyone, …
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 »Nakhid threatens Vieira with Privileges Committee referral; senators clash on impeachment sitting
“[…] Senator [Anthony] Vieira fails to realise the irony and hypocrisy of such a blanket statement against unnamed members of the Opposition, effectively against all of us. And if Senator Vieira does not immediately withdraw this statement—which implicates myself and other senators, who made no such remarks—the Senator will be …
Read More »How will T&T remember the colourful 1990 coup character, Yasin Abu Bakr?
I so wanted to write about the theatrics and the vaudeville-type show just recently put on in Parliament by some seasoned actors and let’s say some neophyte starlets who saw an opportunity to have their names lit up in neon lights. The show debuted on 21 October 2021 and from …
Read More »MSJ: Whose agenda are the UNC seeking to promote by weaponising the Parliament?
“[…] Some commentators are suggesting that there should have been a debate so that answers to questions that the public have could have been obtained. We disagree. “[…] Neither the President nor the former Chair of the PolSC sits in the Parliament so that, given what we’ve heard in the …
Read More »Noble: I swear! Historical lessons on when to collaborate, and how to disagree
The swearing of an oath by our presidents is an expression of a specific intention to others. It is not limited to the moment when the person articulates the words. It commits to act in a certain way in the future. This action is a deliberate exercise of one’s free …
Read More »‘Boorish, petulant, distasteful and demeaning!’ Robinson-Regis asks Nakhid to resign, UNC Senator hits back
Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis: “[…] Senator Nakhid’s instrument of appointment was given under the hand of the President who is the head of the Republic, yet he has chosen to attack with such venom and vitriol, and for that alone, he should demonstrate at least a modicum …
Read More »Daly Bread: Who is guarding the public interest, as public offices fall prey to political interference?
It is well known that in a functioning democracy checks and balances to guard against abuses of power are required in the public interest. In addition to the separation of the respective powers of the political executive (principally the Cabinet), the legislature and the judiciary, there are additional constitutional provisions …
Read More »Best: Picking sense out of MoH nonsense; Dr Fuad Khan’s broadside at Piarco Covid system
“This makes no sense,” Dr Fuad Khan thunders at one point in his latest online sermon. “Whoever did this system is a dunce! Is time to get rid ah dese fools in the Ministry of Health.” It’s not easy to decide which set of fools is more wearisome, harder to …
Read More »Tye: T&T’s governance model ‘breeds deep mistrust’—as such, ‘forced vaccinations’ would be a mistake
I certainly empathise with the government as they are navigating difficult decisions in the management of the economy and society during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, the issues facing the society are mostly not due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but deeper social issues that have never been properly addressed by …
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