Gotham

I've listened to reactions, understandably shocked, following the murder of Dana Seetahal. Here's my take on this whole thing:

For those who are equating her murder with the other 155 for the year, the only equivalence is that she is human with the same DNA. That is where it ends. The murder of Ms. Seetahal carries a strong symbolic message that there are no lines left to be crossed. She was a public official, a state prosecutor and a high ranking senior counsel. Her murder matters more because of the message it sends.

Secondly, I am completely disinterested in prayer and coming together and being patriotic or holding million dollar memorials for Ms. Seetahal. The fact of the matter is that this country is rotten from the top to the core. I don't care for public relations police briefings or an Attorney General who used her murder for self promotion a mere 2 hours after she was gunned down in cold blood. Everyone in this country knows that the problem is drugs. Everyone knows that the young boys from Laventille cannot finance it. Everyone knows of the corruption at the ports. Everyone knows. And that is the point. Don't insult my intelligence by telling me that you working on theories and no resources will be spared to catch her killers because I don't care about the ones who pulled the triggers. They are certainly not the ones from whom orders came. They are most probably not the ones who brought military grade weapons into the country. Where are the arrests and prosecution of these 'big fishes'? You know, the ones who actually have the financial whereitall to conduct the narco trade.

Thirdly, her murder is a further demonstration of systemic failure. Despite our 'wealth', this country is a failed state. State institutions do not work, from health to national security to education to finance. Transparency and accountability are nonexistent and those who call for it are treated (by whomever controls the treasury) as mischief makers. Our system and structure of governance is a failure. It is a failure because our government finances the trade. It is complicit in money laundering and drug running. And not because individual ministers are. It is because the state readily provides financing via URP/CEPEP contracts. The Ministry of Finance does not conduct audits of citizens who for some reason manage to live like kings and queens while declaring income like paupers. It is because the Security Apparatus cannot or will not control our borders or intelligently conduct investigations. How many times have there been drug busts with no arrests?

Finally, as I end this, and I refuse to call it a rant, here are some simple solutions to those in charge offered by me, free of charge.

1. Immediately close down URP/CEPEP and replace it with Unemployment Insurance not to exceed 100 weeks. In this way those who need some relief will get it, along with some time to make thenselves employable. It cuts out contractors and wastage. It identifies those in need and assists and trains people to enter the workforce.

2. CCTV everywhere. In ever major city, town, borough, state building and ports. If London can do it, we can more than afford to. The fear of being caught is almost as effective as being caught.

3. Complete tax and asset audits of very high net worth individuals to trace source of income. Either by the Ministry of Finance or the Financial Intelligence Unit. Jail is jail, whether they are taken down for drug running or tax evasion.

4. Complete overhaul of the Judicial system, including the abolition of nuisance laws and the implementation of a more efficient trial system. Rebuild from the ground up. New and modern buildings for our courts equipped with the relevant technology.

5. Zero tolerance for firearms. And I mean zero. No one should be allowed a firearm. Not businessmen, not civilians, not low ranking police officers and certainly not security guards. And if found with one, punishment should be onerous.

6. A properly called and executed state of emergency with assistance from international organizations. It is clear that we alone cannot handle our problems.

In the meantime, we remain a relatively wealthy, failed, narco state....well at least until the oil runs out...then we can remove wealthy from that description and see the kind of state we really are.

Democracy is the Worst....

'Democracy is the worst form of Government, except for all others'- Winston Churchill

The Chaguanas West bye election voting is winding down now. And the result is far from certain. What seems to be the only certain thing is that, come tomorrow, the new Member of Parliament will be filling a vacancy created by the forced resignation of Jack Warner on allegations of corruption.

What makes this election most remarkable is the unique groundswell of support for Mr. Warner, seeking reelection under the banner of his newly formed Independent Liberal Party. This seat is the strongest of all 41 constituencies. Mr. Warner won with 93% of the vote under a United National Congress ticket. The seat has been a consistent stronghold for the UNC, falling only to the People's National Movement in the boycotted 1971 General Election. This places this bye election into context. Polling in the lead up to the election has shown a lead for Mr. Warner from anywhere between 5% to 20%. A victory for Mr. Warner will signal a significant shift in the pattern of voting for this constituency and perhaps a reexamination of campaigning for Trinidad and Tobago.

A victory for Warner, however, should lead to introspection of our politics, our electorate an our representation. There can be no question that Mr. Warner has been an excellent representative for his constituency. One can argue that personal wealth and the resources of the state ably assisted him as a senior cabinet minister. However, this argument can also hold for many others who are viewed as less effective representatives and who are certainly not held in the cultish status as Warner.

There can also be no question that Mr. Warner has serious allegations to answer. He is the subject of an investigation by the American Internal Revenue Service (IRS). His fitness to hold office has been questioned from the day he was appointed a senior government minister following the elections of May 2010. There is no doubt that under different circumstances, Mr. Warner would have been forced to resign and not stand again for office. However, the lack of adequate constitutional reform has allowed Mr. Warner to seek a revalidation from the electorate itself. And this revalidation exercise may yet prove the undoing of a government which has not settled into governing, and which has been managing crisis after crisis.

A loss for the UNC will be a second consecutive blow to the People's Partnership Government, coming on the heels of a 12-0 blowout of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) by the PNM in the January 2013 House of Assembly election. It will be a blow to the Prime Minister directly, as a repudiation of her government's policies and the UNC candidate, Kadijah Ameen. Ir will be a blow to the Congress of the People which has called on many occasions for the head of Mr. Warner. It will successfully legitimise Mr. Warner as a serious political player with the potential to direct the outcome of a General Election.

But what of a success? What does it say about the electorate which will ignore the allegations dogging Mr. Warner and vote instead for the Dr. Jekyll version of effective representation? The fact is that one goes with the other. The commendable aspects of Mr. Warner is indeed betrayed by the less scrupulous ones. And there must be a great concern that our electorate is not discerning enough to examine the whole candidate and come to a conclusion that there is too much doubt to reelect Warner.

A win for the UNC will be phyrric. Nothing short of a massive landslide will be acceptable. A win by a small margin will indicate serious problems for the major party in the coalition. A win will also have Ms. Kadijah Ameen sworn in as the new MP for Chaguanas West. Ms. Ameen has not impressed with her campaign. The UNC has not allowed a mature discourse of the issues, as would be expected for a party in government. Being handed the safest seat in the country will propel Ms. Ameen to the public limelight but little else. Her credentials for serving as an MP has not been made clear.

As for the other candidates in the race, there seems little doubt that they will handily lose their deposits. This race is between two horses, neither of whom will inspire a greater confidence in the democratic process in Trinidad and Tobago. The time has come for serious and major constitutional reform on elections, recalls and financing. It is the one saving grace the the Congress of the People may have, lest they be condemned to forever being cannibalised by the UNC. Indeed, many will argue that there is already no difference between the UNC and the COP.

Democracy must be respected. But it must also be regulated if it is to remain credible. Today may yet be the day when an individual wins and democracy loses.

OutSourced

After a prolonged and deliberate hiatus, I'm resuming my blogs for a number of reasons. The foremost is the simplest. I miss writing. The other reasons don't seem to matter now.

It's been three and a half years since I've graduated. I've settled into working in the Public Health Service. While I have no intentions of being permanent here, it is where I am at present, and so I not only make the best of it, but I aspire to make it better.

In my short stint thus far in the service, it is clear why doctors become frustrated and fed up. It is no wonder that they pack up seeking greener pastures. At the very basis is the clear lack of professionalism from those who seek to administer healthcare in Trinidad. Doctors, who are the ones ultimately responsible for the welfare of their patients are routinely disrespected, humiliated and forced to work in conditions akin to indentureship.

At the very outset, I contend that I speak for the vast majority of doctors who are dedicated and committed to their jobs and their patients. I acknowledge that there are those who are suboptimal, but that is a feature not unique to medicine. However, as a result of sensationalism generated by the media and the failure or inability of doctors to adequately address the clear misconceptions or outright lies published have rendered us at the mercy of a public who is poorly educated about what their expectations should be about the health system that they access. Doctors who work in the public hospitals have had their constitutional right to freedom of speech muted by the courts and the contracts which prohibit medical professionals from engaging with the media. This, despite the fact that they may come under direct attack with reputations at stake. Instead, it is left to the communications departments of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs), to address these matters. Indeed, the personnel charged with this responsibility, while they may be advised medically, usually have no training or experience in working in a health related field.

The lack of respect transcends just the patients, however. There is a complete breakdown in the hierarchy of the delivery of healthcare in this country. Doctors are rendered impotent when directives for management are undermined by nursing staff who fail to execute the daily plans for patients or by attendants who refuse to do their jobs of transporting patients to and from various facilities within the hospital. (eg. from A&E to the ward or to get a simple X-Ray or CT Scan)The result of this is that doctors are therefore forced to do the jobs of the auxillary staff. 'So what?', you may be thinking. 'Doctors feel they do big to do them things?' Well firstly, doctors are not hired as nurses or attendants. But more importantly, when doctors are left to do the jobs not being done by those who have been hired to do them, the collective care of patients suffer. This is because there is now less time for doctors to manage the actual care of their patients since this time is wastefully spent on, for example, wheeling a patient to get an ultrasound.

There is a fine line between disrespect and humiliation, but it is distinct. And there has been, lately, what seems to be a concerted attempt to deliberately humiliate doctors. There is the vexing issue of the unilateral removal of a vehicle tax exemption usually granted to travelling officers by the Chief Personnel Officer. This, despite the fact that it is included in a legally binding contract that has been signed by doctors. This blatant attempt, coupled with the fact that no new collective agreement has been signed since 2008, only serve to accelerate the rate at which those with high aspirations and the means to escape, ultimately do. This is a blatant failure of the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) to seriously deal with issues directly affecting the conditions and compensation of the most important link in the health care chain.

On further examination, however, things begin to clear. The immediate past president of MPATT is now Chairperson of an RHA, a direct conflict of interest in any corporate circle. Another former president sits on the board of another RHA. This revolving door, aided and abetted by political connections and aspirations have enabled a scant few from within the very profession to augment the populist sentiment that it is acceptable to humiliate those who provide health care in very trying circumstances.

Finally, with the appointment of the latest Medical Chief of Staff, doctors have been threatened via memos and other intimidatory tactics that they should not claim their legitimately worked for overtime or compensatory days. In which other profession would this nonsense be condoned? This is in clear contravention of the contracts which we have signed. Instead, tactics which include merging non compatible departments in order to lessen overtime sessions or outrightly refusing to sign off on legitimately worked extra sessions have become pervasive. Compensatory days, which was a compromise in itself, so that doctors can be compensated for hours worked in lieu of cash, has been taken away, ultra vires the contracts which have been signed. And all this with the apparent consent of the employer.

The profession of medicine in this country has been and is continuing to be systematically undermined. Doctors cannot give priority to delivering the best health care to patients when all of the above bogeys are constantly being held over our heads. The final insult is the posturing by administrators who have little or no medical knowledge purporting to make medical decisions which they claim to be in the best interest in the public. This includes, but is not limited to the reversal of decisions made by qualified, sometimes even specialised health professionals. These decisions are usually populist in nature and have no basis whatever in proper and due medical practice. When the outcomes are then, predictably, disastrous, the blame is then placed squarely at the feet of doctors.

A friend of mine once pointed out to me that, in general, doctors come from the cream of the academic crop. We have usually strove for excellence from primary to secondary to tertiary levels. We have worked hard and fought through a multitude of obstacles to arrive at the point when we can be called doctors. A great majority enter the profession with that wide eyed innocence of seeking to make a difference. That personality doesn't change upon the conferring of a medical degree. The drive for excellence does not change. What changes are the extraneous, unnecessary challenges that we are forced to cope with, along with quasi qualified personnel who, for some reason wish to 'play' doctor, rather than letting actual doctors do their job in as least stressful and conducive environment as possible. The profession of medicine has been outsourced to the most obstructionist, egocentric and unqualified people. It makes for a worse health system and a sick, sick nation.

52 Weeks Later

It's the one year anniversary of the coalition sweeping into power with an unprecedented popular mandate. They've been extensively analysed and polled, so there probably isn't any merit in rehashing the mantra of the last few weeks.

What is important is that we utilise an appropriate benchmark in order to assess this and any other government. These benchmarks will inevitably include direct comparisons to previous administrations as well as comparisons to a 'gold standard' of governance.

With respect to the comparison with the immediately preceding administration, I believe that there is no doubt that the current administration has not only shown but has also done many of the necessary things to bring about some degree of confidence back into the realm of good governance.

There are simple instances of line ministers and the Prime Minister making themselves available to be interviewed. There is the pleasing sight of high ranking cabinet ministers taking questions at the Post Cabinet Press Conference. There has been a restoration of Parliamentary oversight with the establishment of many Joint Select Committees, answering of questions posed to Ministers and even the sheer number of sittings that the Parliament has undertaken.

There has been an attempt to improve levels of transparency with the advertisements of numerous tenders for various projects. Whether or not this actually leads to any degree of improvement in the award of contracts is left to be seen, after the Mary King and NP debacles.

From a macro perspective, the Economy has been stabalised, reports of serious crimes have decreased while Agriculture has been given priority, despite the absolutely horrendous acts of bulldozing crops a few weeks ago. In addition there is a massive thrust in Trade and Industry and Foreign Affairs to position this country into a more competitive position and the Ministry of Energy has awarded new exploration contracts. The Ministry of Works has completed some outstanding PNM projects while undertaking some new initiatives.

However, this has all been marred by the events of the SIA, Mary King, Jack Warner and FIFA, Dookeran and Anil, Ramlogan and the Piano, the placement of ministers in capacities which clearly overwhelms them (Baptiste-Cornelis and Gopeesingh) and lately, the furor over the imminent award to a friend of the PM of an NP contract.

It is here that we must revert to the reasons why the current coalition is in power. A large part of their election was apathy toward the PNM and more specifically, Patrick Manning. Their campaign was hinged on the idea of new politics, better governance, increased transparency and less corruption. I am not one who believes that we have gotten exchange rather than change. However, there have been frustrating incidents. Incidents that make one wonder whether or not they realise that their election was something far more significant than a glossy campaign or rum and roti politics.

52 weeks later, each of the component entities of the Partnership seem intent on building their identities. The MSJ officially launched as a political party, while the COP has promoted their serialisation in the lead up to the 50th Anniversary of T&T's Independence. This, I believe, can only auger well for the strength of the coalition. It is high time however, that the component entities begin holding each other, especially the majority partner, accountable for actions.

As for the PNM, as has been the case with many parties shocked into opposition, there have been serious problems organising into a viable alternative administration. Significant steps have been taken, with the recent executive election and the consolidation of power around Dr. Rowley. Recently, however, the resurgence of a Manning faction has proved to somewhat discredit the idea that the PNM is a cohesive unitary party. This undermines their credibility when they seek to imply that the coalition of 5 is not a cohesive unit. There seems to be a misunderstanding that Cabinet cohesiveness and political cohesiveness are divergent. The PP is not a unitary party and as such, it is expected that divergent views are given at the level of the Executive of the individual parties. The same is not true of the current PNM, where divergence of views is tantamount to a direct assault on the authority of the Political Leader and the Whip.

For the first 52 weeks, I would agree with Mr. Imbert, who exhibited the most class I've seen of any politician in recent times when talking at a seminar hosted at UWI reflecting on the 1st year of the PP government. The government will get a passing grade; somewhere in the region of 6/10. There remains a lot of work to be done and many important manifesto promises to be fulfilled that requires the constitutional majority that they currently enjoy.

In the next year, I fervently hope that the PP address the structural aspects of governance, from a proper reshuffle of the cabinet to the laying and passing of legislation overhauling the constitution to better reflect the society that we live in and hope to build. This in addition to the developmental pillars that they themselves have set out and which would be the benchmark by which their governance would be judged. The 'gold standard' will be their ability to move T&T higher in the international indicators of development.

We cannot hope to achieve First World status with a Third World mentality. No more in our history is it more true than it is at the very present. Here's to a much better next 52 weeks.

2011 Academy Awards Picks

So it's the annual season of Hollywood self-congratulation and the Academy Awards are less than 24 hours away. In the vein of lightheartedness, I'll post my picks for the awards in major categories. Just as a note, and for full disclosure, I have not seen the following movies which have been nominated for major awards: Winter's Bone, Animal Kingdom, Another Year.

Best Animated Feature:

Who should win: Toy Story 3
Who will win: Toy Story 3

Sorry all you Pixar haters, but you can count another golden statue in the pile for this flick which can evenly contend for th highest prize.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Who should win: The Social Network
Who will win: The Social Network

I was caught between The Social Network and True Grit for my pick, but in the end I gave the edge to The Social Network mainly because of how fast paced the movie was and the incredible effortlessness that the delivery of the script contributed to the success of the movie.

Best Original Screenplay:

Who should win: Inception
Who will win: The King's Speech

The creative genius of Nolan that went into the multi-layered Inception is second to none. However, Academy voters have been barraged with the Weinsteins' King's Speech and the Royal tale will get the undeserving nod come Oscar night.

Best Director:

Who should win: Christopher Nolan (Inception)- Not Nominated
Who will win: David Fincher (The Social Network)

For another year, Nolan is snubbed. The win will come for Fincher, previously nominated for Benjamin Button and strangely not nominated for Fight Club.

Best Supporting Actress:

Who should win: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Who will win: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

He's gone completely mad! That's what you're probably saying. But, with Amy Adams also nominated and the Academy's penchant for honouring young actresses in this category, this will probably be one of the few upsets of the night.

Best Supporting Actor:

Who should win: Geoffery Rush (The King's Speech)
Who will win: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Look, it's MY opinion alright! You can comment and give yours too. I just think that acting goes beyond the ability to morph oneself by gaining or losing weight. Bale's performance is great, but I personally think that Rush embodied the role of Lionel Logue and made him completely believable.

Best Actress:

Who should win: Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)
Who will win: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

They both give convincing performances but again, in my opinion, Portman does more morphing by losing weight than acting. The real crime in this category is that Julianne Moore didn't get a nod.

Best Actor:

Who should win: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Who will win: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

No contest. And the explanation for it is simply to look at the performance. Notable omission is Leonardo DiCaprio and no, not for Inception, but for Shutter Island, which was released in March and duly forgotten. His performance in that movie was at least better than Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network, for which he got a nom.

Best Picture:

Who should win: Inception
Who will win: The Social Network

And you're thinking I've COMPLETELY lost it. Truthfully, I'm not that confident in The Social Network, but I gave it the edge over the King's Speech because of the nature of the story and the voters who actually make the decision. In any case, for yet another year, the best movie of the year won't win the Oscar.

After all is done tomorrow night, I think it's Inception that comes out on top with 5 or 6 awards, mainly in minor categories. Kings' Speech and Social Network should each pick up about 3.

In Defence of Dookeran: CLICO

I am under no illusions that the Leader of the Congress of the People, de facto Deputy Prime Minister and current Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Dookeran is in need of my or anyone else’s defence when it comes to matters of the economy or his ministry. It is, therefore, not in this context that I endeavour to write about matters that fall under his purview and recent developments that seek to distract and detract from what has been, thus far a commendable performance in a difficult position.

Firstly, and since the matter preceded him, I will tackle the issue of CLICO who are calling for Mr. Dookeran’s head as per their payouts. More specifically, Mr. Peter Permell has been talking to anyone who cares to listen, and has, to an extent, successfully gotten quite a significant portion of the population to go along with his ludicrous claims. As per CLICO, and I will painfully stand corrected, if wrong, the Minister identified approximately 250,000 policyholders/depositors who were affected by the fall out of the failure of the insurance giant.

Of these, 225,000 are traditional policyholders, traditional the word used to describe people who invested their monies in an insurance product familiar to most, namely (i) a life insurance policy payable to a beneficiary upon the policyholder’s death and (ii) an annuity policy payable to the policyholder upon retirement OR if death of the policyholder precedes retirement, to his/her beneficiary. The Minister has been at pains to point out that these persons are fully covered, have nothing to worry about and their investments are secure.

The second tranche of approximately 25,000 claimants are, in fact, depositors, despite the label of ‘Policyholder’ that Permell has managed to successfully introduce via the formation of his group. These depositors invested into a product sold by CLICO, namely the Executive Flexible Premium Annuity (EFPA). Whether or not they were misled by the company and its agents is a separate matter. By the very sentiment of the Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank, these individuals and, in some cases, CORPORATIONS, invested in a non-traditional instrument. What Mr. Permell, in his many ventures to the media and histrionics at meetings, has failed to clearly explain to the public is the nature of these EFPAs. What was the attraction to these ‘Annuities’? Was it the interest rates of 12-14% in an environment that, at the time, was paying at best, 5-7%? If not, then what? And if yes, then the case for greed cannot be made any clearer.

In any case, of these 25,000 depositors, approximately 11,000 hold less than TT$75,000 in assets and will be completely covered by a one-off payment as laid out by Dookeran’s plan in the 2010/2011 Budget. This leaves 14,000 depositors whose claim on the Treasury is approximately TT$7 billion, an average of TT$500,000 per client (although a median figure would be more instructive). Every single one of these depositors will receive an initial payment of $75,000, a total of $1 billion this year. The remaining $6 billion will be paid over the next 20 years in equal payments ($300 million/year), at 0% interest (just about the same that you or I are currently receiving on bank deposits). The important thing to take away from this is that every single depositor would have had the majority of his/her initial capital preserved.

A 20-year bond is to be floated to finance this debt that the GORTT has decided to undertake. Permell has either chosen to remain ignorant of the terms of this bond or has taken a conscious decision to suppress the information surrounding this issue. Depositors have two options. (i) Accept an initial payment of $75,000 and cash in their bonds at 100% of their face value each year for the next 20 years; thereby receiving 100% of their capital back (at an average of 2011-2030 inflation-adjusted dollar values). In a hypothetical case of a depositor with $1 million, and assuming a generous adjusted average inflation/depreciation rate of 7% over the next 20 years, the depositor will be reimbursed the equivalent of $581,000 in terms of 2011 dollars. This represents a ‘haircut’ of approximately 42%. This ‘haircut’ will be greater or smaller, depending on the rate of inflation/deflation and appreciation/depreciation of the TT dollar.

The second option is the acceptance of an initial payment of $75,000 and the immediate cashing in of the 20 year bond. As with any bond being cashed in prior to its maturity date, there will be a discount attached to the face value. Mr. Dookeran has gone out of his way to interfere with the free market by negotiating with local banks to accept the first 5 years of the CLICO issue at approximately 92-95% of face value. The remaining 15 years, as generally agreed, will attract a discount of approximately 40-45% (that is, 55-60% of face value) Again, using our hypothetical depositor with $1 million to receive, he will receive a lump sum of $75,000.
Assuming the bond attracts a discount on the lower end for both the first 5 years and the remaining 15 years, the depositor will be reimbursed $212,750 for the first 5 years and a further $381,562.50 for a total of approximately $670,000; a haircut of 33%. Note well that this sum will be a lump sum ($75,000 from GORTT and $595,000 from the commercial bank to which the bond will be sold). If the bond is cashed in at the higher end, the payment would be in the region of $710,000, a 29% loss on capital. This lump sum will be obtained almost immediately from the date of the first payment, tentatively scheduled for March 2011 (as indicated by the MoF and Attorney General)

In addition to this, provisions have also been made for individuals to receive money where a case of need is made out. Provisions have also been put in place for credit unions, which had no business investing in these types of products in the first place and which recklessly and irresponsibly weighted their portfolio heavily in the EFPAs, to be paid greater sums.

All this flies in the face of the suggestion that the minister is being vindictive or that people will have to wait for 20 years to get ‘their money’. What it means is that these depositors will have to experience some loss on their initial investment, not a large price to pay in a situation where they would otherwise receive nothing. What Permell is strangely quiet about is the concept of personal responsibility when it comes to investment. CLICO was not, and is still not a state owned entity.

Where is the criticism for the directors of the company which essentially ran a Ponzi scheme on EFPA deposits? Where is the criticism for those investors who piled all their money into a single investment, regardless of whether or not it was deemed risky at first, or if it was approved by the Central Bank? The long and short of this sham story by Permell is that these depositors chased after fast money and lost. It is NOT the responsibility of the REGULATOR to reimburse losses. The REGULATOR is not a GUARANTOR. If there is a facility for guarantee of funds, such as the Statutory Fund, it is my understanding that CLICO is responsible for contributing to that fund. If said money was not deposited, it is not the responsibility or obligation of the Central Bank, the REGULATOR, to meet that commitment.

Just because the GORTT has extended a facility to these depositors does not mean that the Treasury should be used as a cash cow for these accounts. As was stated soon after the election, the CL Financial Group had a net liability of $20 Billion. This means that the group as a whole, of which CLICO is a 100% owned subsidiary is insolvent. There are NO net assets for anyone to receive. The assets which exist, as explained by the minister, are heavily leveraged or encumbered. As such, any monies being paid are as a result of an assessment by the ministry and the Central Bank as to an amount deemed sufficient to prevent contagion to the financial system. Rest assured, if this were a similarly private, smaller insurance company or financial institution; investors would be fending for themselves and holding empty hats.
It is noteworthy also, that despite the best efforts by Permell to misrepresent, both S&P and the IMF have approved of the way that the Minister has handled the situation; S&P even suggesting that the GORTT has been more than generous in handling the CLICO affair. What Permell has conveniently failed to mention is that the Sovereign Rating of ‘A’ is as a RESULT of the GORTT’s handling of the CLICO matter, not a license to sweeten the deal.

So Mr. Permell, it’s about time you came clean on this whole charade. Depositors, as rich or poor, young or old as they are, are lucky to be receiving anything in the first place. Admit that the only reason this came to a head was the order by the Minister to issue a stop on the payment of interest at the ridiculous rate in this fiscal environment. Admit that responsibility for this fiasco lays LEAST in the hands of the Central Bank and the former and present Ministers of Finance and MOST in the hands of the company’s directors and irresponsible investors. Accept responsibility for risks associated with your investments, something that you seem averse to, as evidenced, not only by this case, but also by the fallout from the closure of BWIA where investors, including yourself, are seeking to recoup a premium to the approximately $0.20 a share that the company was delisted at.

It is a sad and lamentable fact that many unsuspecting citizens were caught up in the failure of this institution, but it cannot be the responsibility of taxpayers and the treasury to pay for the irresponsible decisions by directors, shareholders and clients of a private company. The GORTT has a responsibility to ALL citizens, not just the 1% (14,000 clients) affected in this case who are claiming 17% ($7 billion) of projected 2010/2011 revenue. It is most interesting that despite the claims of the EFPA group and the delays in payment, that no legal action has been formally filed. Is it now that legal counsel has advised the group that this is a losing cause and there are absolutely no legs to stand on?

The lesson from this for everyone is that individuals need to be more careful and seek financial advice if they are not competent to make such decisions on their own. The Central Bank needs to review insurance companies to ensure that they comply with relevant laws. Finally, and most importantly, the AG needs to ensure that justice must not only be done but seen to be done with respect to the directors of companies who mismanage funds leaving individuals in dire straits while they are allowed to enjoy the fruits of their ill-obtained gains.

A Partnership's New Year Resolutions

With New Years in the air, another arbitrary 365 days begin. And what better than to propose some resolutions to a government that has found itself on the end of some severe (rightly or wrongly) criticisms since assuming office?

I’ll start with my wish list on the legislative agenda.

Government must bring legislation to limit a Prime Minister to two terms in office, set fixed election dates and commence the institution of Local Government reform. These were clear points in their manifesto and they must go about doing it while their majority is largely intact and before there is a descent into political games regarding these very important variations to the Constitution. They must also deal with the outstanding legislation governing Property Taxes and reform of the Board of Inland Revenue. Finally, they must put forward a very clear policy on the Caribbean Court of Justice. Some decision must be made on whether we continue indefinitely with the Privy Council, adopt the CCJ or go it alone with a final appellate court.

On the social front, this government must begin the process of reviewing and removing legislation from the Masters and Servants Act to Equal Opportunity Legislation and the laws criminalizing homosexuality, abortion and prostitution. It cannot be acceptable that prisons are rampant with sexually transmitted diseases and the excuse given by the prisons authority is that homosexuality is illegal, so condoms cannot be distributed. It cannot be acceptable that civil rights are denied to selected portions of society because of a religious lobby. It cannot be acceptable that the same religious lobby prevents safe and effective health care to women in need of termination of pregnancies, for whatever reasons, the details of which can be expounded in legislation. It cannot be acceptable that brothels operate as freely as they do in the classified section of the newspaper, yet their workers are not given protection in terms of their employment or health.

Onto the Economy and Finance, it is my wish that government resolves to end the current crisis of confidence. There is a need to reign in inflation. This can only be done with the aid of the Ministries of Food Production, Trade and Industry and National Security. We must deal with the spiraling cost of local produce, which can be controlled by local measures. We must open our economy to more markets and set about lowering or removing tariffs which, while protecting out local manufacturers, also gives them monopolies, prevents them from improving efficiency and deprives local consumers of choice of product and competitive pricing. The ministry of National Security needs to be involved in stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the country, a trade, the size of which rivals that of the legal, onshore economy.

The Ministry must also seek to wipe out some of the liquidity in the system. This can be done by actively reviving the local Stock Exchange by initial public offerings for some of the more profitable government run institutions, including the Unit Trust Corporation, First Citizens’ Bank, the splitting up of NEL into its component parts (NGC, LNG, TRINGEN, TSTT and NFM) and offering each publicly. This move will allow a greater number of citizens to enjoy the success of a reviving economy, while allowing the government to raise money on the local market, interest free and for the small price of reduced (but still majority) ownership.

On Works, Transport and the Environment, construction projects that are long overdue (highways, dams, drains and hospitals) are about to commence. There must be a drive also to clean and clear waterways, neglected for years and which have since silted up and become overgrown, some not even recognizable now as previously being waterways. There must be a concerted effort to ensure that the floods of 2010 become the part of history that the Minister wishes it to be. As a result, collaboration must be made with the ministry of the Environment (unfortunately annexed to Housing, which is in direct contradiction to the Manifesto, which promised a stand alone Environment ministry) for effective litter wardens, the commencement of a meaningful plastic, glass and metal recycling industry and facilities for disposal and recycling of appliances, cars and technology (computers, cell phones etc) waste. There must also be moves to shut down every single open dump in this country and replace them with sustainable, properly managed landfills.

The Minister of Transport must also now expedite the issuing of electronic number plates and licenses. There must be the introduction of speed guns to allow officers to control the lawlessness that currently applies on the nation’s roads. The law has to be revised, raising the speed limit on highways from the current ludicrous 80kmph and fines must also be given to those drivers who do not adhere to a minimum or maximum speed on designated lanes. Reform must also take place to allow one to pay tickets and fines at any commercial bank or government cashier using modern methods such as debit or credit cards, not the system of cash only in the district that the offence was committed as applies at present.

As for taxis and the soon to be legal, PH cars, take a suggestion from my father and similarly to New York City which has color coded vehicles for public transport, ensure that ALL cars for hire, whether P or H, are painted a brightly designated color. (yellow was his suggestion). In addition, implementation of the announced plans for water taxis to Chaguanas, Point Fortin and the supplemental service to Tobago, as well as a passenger port at Toco must be seen to occur sooner rather than later. These services are required, necessary even to a population that is quickly becoming less tolerant to public relations bells and whistles and who crave delivery of services which had been less than forthcoming from the previous administration.

The Ministry should also partner with the Ministry of National Security to overhaul the number plate system for government and emergency vehicles. Such vehicles should have special designation plates (eg. the Commissioner of Police should be driven in TTPS1, with all other vehicles of the police service following suit) as opposed to the current system where emergency or government vehicles are registered with private plates. This will facilitate the public in the quick identification of a government or emergency vehicle and can assist if problems arise as to which vehicle responded to an emergency.

On the issue of Health, it is vital that the current minister access all available professional advice. As someone who is not from the health sector, she needs to fully understand all aspects of a very broken system before she can go about attempting to fix it. It is my hope for the new year that the ministry achieves their goal of commencing the construction of various hospitals. There is need now for 24-hour Primary care (Health Centres) in order to reduce the strain on Tertiary Care (Hospitals). There is a need for review of CDAP, where wastage abounds.

The Ministry should also resolve in the new year to launch a massive public education campaign on the importance of patients’ compliance with health care advice and medications. There is need for massive promotion of preventative health care so that our system is not strained with the volume of chronic diseases as happens at present. There is need for expansion of services and proper employment practices so that health professionals are not turned away from serving in public institutions. In short, there is need for the reform or overhaul of the Regional Health Authorities, where too much duplication of services occur for a country of only 1.5 million.

The Ministry of National Security should also look to overhaul the police service. In order to mitigate complaints that police, fire or health officers were called but did not respond, a 9-1-1 type system should be instituted nationwide, with callers speaking to dispatchers who have information, via GPS fitted in every single vehicle of the protective service (Fire, Police, Ambulance). Dispatchers will then relay information to the nearest available patrol to respond to the emergency.

There needs to be a comprehensive plan for crime, especially one in the short term to stem the number of violent crimes currently being committed. The only real measure of crime is the number of murders, kidnappings, rapes, thefts, white collar corruption, volume of drugs shipped and transshipped etc etc. There therefore needs to be a dent in these statistics and that can only come about by enforcing current law, increasing detection and conviction rates and institution legislation that ensures that perpetrators feel the brunt of a working system.

These are just a few of the resolutions that the current administration, still riding high on goodwill and a majority to effect real change, should look toward so that come Jan 1, 2012, Trinidad and Tobago will truly be better off on all fronts than in 2011.

The Reality of Perception

At the first sitting of Parliament after its Ceremonial Opening, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, in outlining her case for the rejection of Neal Parker as Commissioner of Police of Trinidad and Tobago, stated that justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done. She is, of course, quite right in that statement, although it can also be successfully argued that justice must also be blind, whether or not it may be popular.

It is highly ironic, therefore, that no more than ten days after that statement was uttered, that Mrs. Persad Bissessar would choose to appoint Minister of Works and Transport Mr. Jack Warner (UNC) as Acting Prime Minister. In keeping with her statement that justice must be seen to be done, the logical choice for the position of Acting Prime Minister should be the leader of the Congress of the People, Minsiter of Finance Mr. Winston Dookeran.

The reasons are clear. Firstly, Mrs. Persad Bissessar is Prime Minister on the basis of her party entering a coalition with other entities in the recently concluded General Election. The People’s Partership is essentially an amalgamation of the United National Congress, the Congress of the People and the Tobago Organisation of the People. The leadership council comprises Mrs. Persad Bissessar, Mr. Dookeran, Mr. Errol McLeod (MSJ), Mr. Makandal Daaga (NJAC) and Mr. Ashworth Jack (TOP). Only Persad Bissessar and Dookeran command any significant support in Parliament. It should therefore follow that the Acting Prime Minister should, on the basis of honouring the spirit of the coalition, be appointed from the leadership council.

For those who point out that the UNC overwhelms the COP 20-6 in terms of seats won, look no further than the United Kingdom, whose own elections, held a mere 18 days before ours, produced a hung Parliament. After forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, PM David Cameron appointed Mr. Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib Dems, as deputy Prime Minister, despite holding a margin of 320-54 in terms of seats in Parliament. This is a direct result of recognising the importance of the minority party’s role in the formation of the government and granting due respect to its supporters. It is the preservation of the perception of unity within the coalition.

Secondly, there arises the issue of the criteria for the selection of the Acting Prime Minister. The first criterion proferred was by the Attorney General, Mr. Anand Ramlogan (UNC). At the post cabinet news conference where Mr. Warner’s appointment was announced, Ramlogan sought to justify the appointment by stating that Warner, with over 18,000 votes, received the most votes by any single Member of Parliament in the recently concluded election. What Ramlogan conveniently overlooked was that Dookeran led a party that received over 100,000 votes. Who, therefore, has a greater mandate? Who is more justified in holding the position of Acting Prime Minister? Mr. Warner holds a major post in his own party as chairman and financier. However, in terms of the coalition itself, Mr. Warner is merely a Member of Parliament.

The other criterion offered was by the Minister of Sport, Mr. Anil Roberts (COP), who congratulated Persad Bissssar for appointing the Acting Prime Minister from amongst the elected members of the House of Representatives. This is a departure from her immediate predecessors who chose their deputies from the appointed Senate. One wonders, how, of her 28 members to choose, she arrived at the appointment of Mr Warner. Indeed, if the sole criterion is that the Acting PM should be a member of the House, it makes even MP #12 on the PNM bench, Mr. Manning, eligible for selection.

Finally, this entire issue boils down to perception. And this is where things are beginning to climax to a critical point for Persad Bissessar. The perception exists and is being perpetuated, that the UNC has simply used the COP to obtain government, and now, with a seemingly comfortable majority, counting the MSJ (1) and TOP (2), they are prepared to throw their major partner by the wayside, much like a rehashing of the NAR in the 1995-2000 administration. This again reared its head in the allocation of seats for the Local Government election, where the COP was initially, and obscenely, offered only 32 of the 134 local seats to contest; and in such an arrangement that they would be unable to obtain majority control of a single corporation. This, despite the COP’s stellar showing in the Diego Martin, Tunapuna, Arima, Point Fortin and San Fernando regions at the last General Election. This perception is reinforced with her appointment of Garvin Nicholas (UNC) as Press Secretary (essentially Minister of Information), despite her pronouncement that no unelected candidate would be handed a ministry. The People’s Partnership rode the wave of popularity into office by promising change. This is certainly not the change that people voted for when there is a continuation of bending of rules and redefining the meaning of ‘is’ in order to achieve a personal or political end. Where is the principle behind this appointment?

The crowning jewel in this increasing fiasco is the widely held perception that Persad Bissessar is merely a puppet to Warner. Dr. Rowley made mention of it in his campaign. Mr. Panday (B) has spoken ad nauseaum about it and now, with this appointment, and with one fell swoop, Persad Bissessar has confirmed in the minds of many that she is not acting appropriately in either of two ways: (i) independently as Prime Minister or (ii) in consultation with the other members of the Partnership Council.

This issue, ultimately, is not about Mr. Warner personally. Persad-Bissessar is the Prime Minister and, constitutionally, it is her prerogative to appoint whomever she wishes as Acting Prime Minister. However, she assumed that office by promising a leadership style that was divergent from the dictatorial and arrogant tendencies of her predecessors. She has just appointed a person to act as Prime Minister who was embroiled, rightly or not, in a great deal of controversy with respect to his dual portfolios as Cabinet Minister and Vice President of FIFA. Were the shoe on the other foot, I am quite sure much clamouring would be made by her about the arrogance of a Prime Minister to foister onto the population, a man who may not even be ethically grounded in holding his post as a Minister of Government.

Persad Bissessar must ensure that the decisions she takes are within the realm of acceptability by the majority of the people whom she asked support of a mere 5 weeks ago. Had Dookeran accompanied her on her trip to Jamaica as part of the governmental team, the issue would not have arisen. However, it must be a bitter pill for him, his party and his supporters to swallow, when come Thursday, he must sit at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Mr. Warner. And all for what? To feed the egos of a few and to protect their party from some imagined threat by another member of the Partnership? We are 41 days into this new government and already the foundation of confidence that many placed in this alliance has begun to waver.

Talkin' bout a Revolution

For the last 40 years or more uprisings in Trinidad and Tobago come around every 20 years. On the last two occasions, in 1970 and 1990, the country was faced with violence and bloodshed as the seat of power was attempted to be wrested from democratically elected governments. Both times were as a result of people or interest groups believing that the government of the day was acting outside of the nation's best interest.

In 2010, again, 20 years after the Jamaat attempted coup of 1990, the aura of the nation was again ripe for revolution. With widespread allegations of corruption, crime and fiscal mismanagement coupled with a ruling party that controlled 26 of 41 seats, despite having a mandate from only 45% of the population in the last election, there was an air of frustration and growing discontent among citizens.

However, unlike previous years, in 2010, a revolution of democracy occurred. Gifted a General Election by the incumbent Prime Minister, 30 months before it was due, the opposition received widespread support and ousted Patrick Manning to install Kamla Persad Bissessar as the country's first female Prime Minister. Whether or not that bears any significance in the 21st century is debatable. What is remarkable about the victory is the fact that the incumbent only lost about 15,000 votes overall, a decrease of about 5% from the last election while the combined opposition was able to motivate an additional 80,000 people, an additional 23%, to cast their ballots in their favor. Even more so is the fact that almost every single new voter would have voted for the coalition.

And this is where the revolution begins to take shape. New voters would have been the apathetic voters of the last election and the generally indifferent youth constituency. The fact that these two groups, and more so, remarkably, from all accounts, the youth turned out in such force for what was effectively a rescue operation for this country shows that, regardless of the pronouncements of the political pundits, once given 1. A viable alternative and 2. A wildly unpopular incumbent, people can be mobilised to vote. And vote they did, with over 722,000 ballots cast (70%) in the biggest turnout since independence and the largest win for any party over the PNM since 1986; a 17 seat advantage with a special majority and a 20% victory in the popular vote.

Former Prime Minister Panday probably put it best when he said we would have to wait to see if this new government is indeed change or exchange. However, from the early signs, utterances and appointments, there seems to be a genuine desire to move away from the politics of the last 8 years, and indeed from the last 40 odd years of totalitarian rule by whichever person who holds the office of Prime Minister.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar is perhaps one of the luckiest politicians in the world and I mean that in the best way possible. After Panday called the internal election of the UNC she amazingly (by margin, not necessarily result) emerged a 10:1 victor, and one month later acquired enough support to become this country's first substantive female opposition leader (previously being appointed by Panday to serve in the post).

In addition, she was facilitated generously by the architect of the coalition, Congress of the People leader and now Minister of Finance, Winston Dookeran, in the run up to the May 24 polls. Throwing his and his party's support, unequivocally behind her as the candidate and giving up potential seats in Diego Martin NE, St Ann's East, Port of Spain North, La Horquetta/Talparo and Toco/Sangre Grande (to the UNC), Pointe a Pierre (MSJ) and Point Fortin (NJAC), in exchange for 1 UNC safe seat (St. Augustine), Mr. Dookeran again demonstrated his party's philosophy of country first.

The result of all this was Mrs. Persad-Bissessar leading a coalition into a General Election where she would emerge as Prime Minister with a massive majority for the coalition and a simple majority (21 seats) for her party by itself. It also made her the shortest served Leader of the Opposition in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, serving exactly, and merely 3 months. Surely this would not have been what the Pandays, Rameshes and Ramnaths would have anticipated had they been advised by their personal prophets or prophetesses that Kamla would last only 3 months as Opposition Leader!

In the space of less than a year, the two most experienced members of Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and two fomer Prime Ministers have been humbled, one completely out of office. The armor of the old guard of politicians in this country is now perhaps destroyed beyond recovery. Race was the least influential in the minds of voters as it has ever been. A more educated and enlightened population that demanded that issues be addressed and unsuccessfully called for a debate between the candidates voted primarily on just that. Issues.

This isn't to say that we've made it. Hardly so. But it is a significant step in the right direction. Kamla has many to thank, but none more so than the youth. It was this group that ensured her victory. It is now her responsibility, aided by her government to execute the mandate so overwhelmingly entrusted in her. It is OUR responsibility, as citizens and as youth to ensure that that mandate is executed without the arrogance and lack of accountability and transparency of the previous administrations.

It is our duty in the next election to ensure that we get our elusive debate. It is our duty to ensure that they have kept their promises on constitutional reform and fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency. Because in the same way we revolted against the incumbent in 2010 in the most significant demonstration of democracy, we must, without fear, be prepared to do the same in 2015 (or earlier) if this government fails to heed the lessons of their past.

Never again must we allow governments to get free rides on the basis of race or handouts. Never again must we tolerate the arrogance and wastefulness of politicians past. Never again must we facilitate maximum leaders in our Government. Never Again.

Pirates of the Caribbean and an Endorsement

We should have elections more often. There's much talk of election reform and the need to have fixed dates for General Elections in Trinidad and Tobago. I propose April 1 of any year, as long as it ends with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 0. And we should ensure that elections are held at least every 3 years, 2 years if we're in a recession.

The reasons are simple. Elections in this country are a great stimulus for the economy. They provide employment, from canvassers to overtime pay for police officers. They ensure that the media houses are well looked after; I mean, it's only in sweet T&T that a 1 hour newscast runs for one and a half hours, just to accommodate the volume of election ads. It ensures that money trickles down to the less fortunate; whether it's Jack and his US$200 in San Fernando West or Esther and her rolled up TT$300 in Tunapuna. Motorcades provide an even greater impetus to the gas stations and service shops, already not doing so badly with the hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road. Not to mention the contracts for the ad agencies, T-Shirt companies, button makers, flag makers (probably not the $2 million flag makers, that probably a little too rich for this kinda season) and caterers.

Apart from that, there's the inherent entertainment value. From a 65 year old giving 20 year olds sex advice, to doctored photos which no one had seen until it was held up in a public meeting by the 'victim' herself, to strange accents and hairdos and cringe-worthy songs, which were even more cringingly sung along to.

But of all this, the talk about ships seem to have overtaken the campaigns. From one ship with 5 captains claiming that the other's ship is sinking to a 'mutineer' threatening a court martial against his captain of 24 years. Granted, the incumbent's ship seems to have sprung a few leaks, which will make their re election that much more difficult and one wonders what direction,if any, the other ship can sail in given the different ideologies of their captains but does this all matter if the ships never left harbour anyway? What point is there in all this ship talk if no new horizons have been explored or treasures returned?

But to this court martial; are we to expect Dr. Rowley to mount an insurgent campaign against Manning once the election is over, a la Jack and Ramesh? If so, how does this play out in a situation where the PNM wins a slim majority, say 21-20. And where does he get his support to do so, now that his Jacks and Rameshes have been wiped clean off the slate by Manning? And what form will this take, considering that Rowley will have no authority to launch any investigation into Manning, and, judging from the 1997 attempt, also has very little support amongst the delegates of the PNM?

Rowley's best chance for leadership of the party, apart from him potentially leading a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister soon after Parliament is assembled, is for the PNM to lose the election. That would put additional pressure on Manning to step down, and perhaps lead to a public endorsement of Rowley from the General Council of the PNM. Whereas there are other issues for the PNM to deal with, their image at this moment is tethered to the machinations and fortunes of its political leader; a leader so unpopular that he has spurned T-Shirts with slogans such as: 'We vex, but we voting PNM'

And onto the Partnership, with their 5 captains. It's not as cobbled together a mess as some would like to make it to be. In truth, there are 2 parties in the coalition. There is near to no chance that NJAC will hold a seat, Point Fortin being their best hope. Errol McLeod may win his seat for the MSJ, while the TOP may win 1, perhaps 2 seats in Tobago. The COP has to win at least 2 or 3 seats for the coalition to form the government; but more than that, the COP has the support of a wide cross section of the population, as does the UNC. Combined, they can easily pull over 300,000 votes; with some polls estimating that their tally may even cross 400,000 come Monday.

While there are dangers of a coalition government not lasting its term, that has never been the case in Trinidad and Tobago. All collapsed governments have been single party, namely 1991-1995 (P), 2000-2001(U), 2001-2002 (P) and 2007-2010 (P). In addition, the structure of the Partnership, in it's truest and most ideological form, should allow checks and balances as it seemingly prevents any of its constituent parties from gaining a majority of seats by themselves.

So what does this all mean? Well weighing the good with the bad in its most basic sense, the PNM has to be given credit for initiating and continuing programmes such as GATE. They have to be commended for the Waterfront Project and the Summits (YES, commended). The IFC was constructed in an attempt to diversify the economy away from oil and gas. The Summits were meant to raise T&T's profile to allow companies, through the Business Forums to establish their presence here. Not this, or any other government could have foreseen the collapse of financial institutions around the world.

Serious, unaddressed questions remain about the Prime Minister's Residence, NAPA, the Legal Affairs Tower, the Tarouba Stadium, the Scarborough Hospital, the National Oncology Centre in Mt Hope, the Church in Gunapo, 'secret scolarships', crime, health and basic infrastructure. And most distressingly, only TT$20 billion in the Revenue and Stabalisation Fund; less than a year worth of government expenditure. All this after buoyant oil and gas prices, and revenues cresting TT$300 billion.

It is for the latter stated reasons that I will endorse the People's Partnership in an all round attempt at change. I don't believe that the Partnership is perfect and vigilance must be assumed for people such as Warner, McLeod, Sharma and Indarsingh. They must be held accountable and to a higher standard than the incumbent, because they have insisted on a higher standard themselves.

But I believe that a Partnership change will engender change in the way government is run. I believe that it will engender change in the way the economy is handled. And I believe that it will engender change in the PNM. It will allow for the nation to breathe easier for a while, while allowing the PNM to regroup to be a strong opposition party with a new leader and truly new faces (ie. without the arrogance of Imbert, Enill, Brown, McDonald and the ilk).

I encourage people to vote for the Partnership, but if one is not so inclined to do, I just encourage people to vote. Even if you aren't satisfied with either of the parties, take the time off to go and deliberately spoil your ballot, so that it will be counted as a protest vote against both parties. By not voting and remaining silent, you consent to the status quo, and a no vote is a silent vote in support of the party in power, whichever party that may be.

Election Country

Trinidad and Tobago heads to the polls on May 24 for its fifth General Election in 10 years. Three of those five elections were arguably necessary given the expiration of elected terms (2000 and 2007) and a hung Parliament (2002). Interestingly, the other two occasions were as a result of Prime Ministers fearing that they, and by extension, their governments would face fairly dicey Motions of No Confidence; Basdeo Panday in 2001 following the fallout with his Attorney-General and two other Members of Parliament and again in 2010, with Patrick Manning, who surrendered a very comfortable majority in the House of Representatives (26-15), only 29 months after winning his mandate.

For Manning, a four-time elected Prime Minister and the longest serving MP in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, this is his second snap election and is shaping up to be one of the most difficult elections that his party would have ever faced. Indeed, before a vote has even been cast, the Prime Minister and his party go into the elections of May 24 with a virtually reduced majority, a top PNM official being quoted as saying they hope to retain 22-23 seats. I suspect that that number reflects a best case scenario by their strategists.

But what of this obsession with elections? In 2007, the Opposition (UNC and COP) were obliterated in the Parliament, despite together polling more than 52% of the popular vote. While it made the PNM a minority elected government with a large Parliamentary majority, it also paved the way for some stability, given the breathing room afforded to the newly re-elected Prime Minister. In fact the PNM's win in 2007 was the largest margin given to any party since the 1986 NAR assumed office with 33 seats. And despite being plagued with issues of corruption surrounding Udecott, delivery of basic services, some unpopular personalities in Government and a noisy Opposition, it stretches the mind to think that even a combination of these things can force a Prime Minister to call an election with an 11 seat cushion in a 41 seat House.

Now, we have the situation of the Opposition being gifted a General Election at the height of incumbent unpopularity. They have cobbled together a deal, an accord, an arrangement, not much of which has been made public as yet. What we do know is that Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the Prime Ministerial candidate and, if successful at the polls, will go down not only as the first female Prime Minister but also as the shortest served Leader of the Opposition. Poor Bas; this certainly wasn't what he would have had in mind if someone told him that 3 months after assuming the position Kamla would no longer be Leader of the Opposition!

What is most disappointing in the short campaign thus far, is the almost comical avoidance of the issues by both platforms. Neither have come forward with a Manifesto. Where are the policies on crime, utilities, infrastructure, constitutional reform and health? Both are keen to play to their respective bases, one with 'It's a Love Thing', the other with an embarrassingly tacky use of Celine's 'A New Day'. I can see the VH-1 folks beginning to compile their list of the 100 worst election songs ever!

But it brings us to the point where the PNM is hoping to win this election by holding its base intact and the UNC/COP/etc hoping to win by convincing us, esoterically, that the PNM is worse so they should automatically get our votes. There doesn't seem to be any enthusiasm to present themselves as viable parties with definite plans for T&T. Election fatigue much? It's gotten so bad in the last 10 years that whereas previously, unelected candidates would quietly go back to their daily lives and jobs, there's almost a celebrity attached to these names. Names like Princess Smart, Rocky Garcia and Gavin Nicholas.

All this in the face of an arguably unnecessary election, which is costing taxpayers at least $23 million as per the EBC and God alone knows how much more with the wanton use of the Government Information Services Limited as a thinly veiled augmentation of the administration's campaign. As for the other side, it probably doesn't take too many guesses to determine where their financing is coming from. And in the true spirit of T&T politics, there must be some expectation of reward (read: corruption and nepotism) for such huge investments over the course of the last two elections.

And what of you, the electorate? Well apart from being distracted from everything imaginable, including CXC/CAPE, Fashion Week, T20 and ODI cricket, the first African Football World Cup and life, in general, we have to ask ourselves what kind of country we live in when 4 of our last 6 governments have collapsed (1995, 2000, 2001, 2010). What impact does this have on our faltering economy and our international image? And where do we go from here?

At this point it's too late to register to vote. But if you are registered, ensure that you do vote for your party, or even if you have to go into your polling booth and deliberately spoil your ballot because you believe that you cannot, with a good conscience, vote for any of the options presented to you. After all, an opportunity like this comes only once every five years. Well, at least theoretically.

'Twas the Summer of 2009

It was over in a blur. Another 'summer' gone, this time spent, not on vacation or in relaxing rotations. And the memories it created would be the ones that one wishes never to remember, but persist to haunt regardless.

Innocent at its beginning, it was just another rotation and surfing the ocean of obligation. It quickly dissipated into fatigue and frustration. Education yes, but at a heavy cost to body and mind. And the result, in part, was manifest on that fateful Thursday morning. As quickly as the events of that day unfolded, it seemed that another 8 weeks were gone, and the reputation of the self-proclaimed dragon beckoned.

In between all this, another world was being created, only to crash within a few months. Another attempt failed, perhaps because of inopportune timing, but probably more as a result of personalities which clashed and should never have tried to become compatible in the first place. It was unfair to expect any more than what eventually became the outcome of such an arrangement and in keeping with the theme of this summer, it was over as quickly as it began. And for the most part, it was for the best.

It was a summer full of work and sparse on free time. Trying to prepare for finals in a way that somehow didn't compromise what had to be done. Trying not to go mad in a forest of people driven by their own insanity. And surviving. There was no silver lining. The clouds just gathered upon each other. From frustrations arising from school, to those arising with the increasingly difficulty with which life in this country is now lived, 2009 provided no end of examples.

Not much more can be said about crime and the economy than has inexorably been ventilated. There seems to be no concern by this government, so ill-led, that they are so unpopular. And therein lies the problem. A government that cannot direct themselves can hardly chart the course for a country, especially one as complex as Trinidad. There was a time when the hope was that the older generation of politicians would retire or die and allow for some fresh ideas to pervade. Now, the chalice is so poisoned, not even that seems as though it would be enough.

At the end of it all, nothing much changed. Lives went on. Flooding, traffic, murders and corruption continued and the date for exams drew excruciatingly closer. And in a nation that has grown so much more selfish, that, I suppose was the most important thing for me.

Summit Entertainment

When plans were announced that Trinidad was to play host to the 5th Summit of the Americas and the 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, I thought, at the time, that they weren't inherently bad decisions. I still think that playing host to these summits will have very little downside with respect to the reputation of the country while the potential benefits are there for the picking. The manner in which preparations have been taking place, from $2 billion conference centres to $300 million upgrades to a perfectly functional airport, stripping tints to cordoning off the slums of the city with a wall akin to Berlin, however, leaves one to wonder.

You see, I thought that maybe, they were just caught up, living in ivory towers and completely out of touch with the citizens of the country. That would explain their lackadaisical attitude towards improving basic infrastructure that would benefit the masses, as opposed to concentrated spending in city centres on edifices that require high maintenance costs and that redound few, if any, tangible benefits to the ordinary citizen. But that was completely thrown out the window when they decided to build a wall around the problems of the Beetham. When they started to crack down on tints and PH drivers. When you can't drive more than 500 metres these days without seeing some form of law-enforcement. When painting lightpoles and fixing overhead lines seem to be a greater priority than the drapes at the palace. So, the sad truth is that they really do have an idea. They know what needs to be done. They just don't, unless, of course it's for Barack or the Queen.

There is a sad and frustrating history for the majority of all these summits, be they regional or international conferences or conferences on foreign policy or the economy or the environment and that is that very little is ever taken away. Resolutions are passed and then ignored by the very countries that voted for them. In the end, these meetings end up as glorified cocktail events and a means for banana republic leaders to obtain a much sought after photo-op with the leaders of nations that actually matter in the international community.

The Summit of the Americas is no different. Since Mar del Plata in 2005 the Corporación Participa of Chile estimates that, up to 2008, no fewer than 12 of the 21 countries they tracked actually regressed from where they were at the start of that Summit. On a -3.0 to +3.0 scale, Trinidad and Tobago, led by an eager government effort to host the 2009 edition earned a -0.01 rating, indicating that absolutely no progress was made on the goals set out by the 2005 Summit. Barbados (+0.54), Jamaica (+0.53) and Grenada (+0.14) all fared better than this Southern Caribean, twin island, black goldmine state which experienced unprecedented revenue windfalls within the period.(FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46271)

Where, then, does this leave us? It is pointless to argue about what should and could have been in terms of the implementation of resolutions from previous summits and the agenda for this one. No doubt, given the current state of the world's economy, the resurgence of a more belligerent Russia and a compliant Venezuela, increasing international pressure for the US to just do ANYTHING when it comes to Cuba and a more diplomatic foreign policy approach from Clinton and Obama, this 5th Summit can be an unprecedented success. What it will fall short of is the myopic anticipations by many leaders in the Caribbean who seek a saviour in Obama.

It will not address Caribbean poverty, receding Caribbean shorelines and Caribbean crime. These are all issues that the governments of the respective sovereign countries have to deal with by prioritising their people or the people have to deal with by sacking their governments. The whole crux of independence is dealing with your own affairs and not conveniently prostituting your nation to another because you too are inspired by its leader's rhetoric.

But then again, how independent are we when we allow our government to spend billions of our dollars to put a coat of paint on our dilapidated house, just because some guests are dropping by for a couple days? Why is it that nice roads, strict law enforcement, a spruced up South Terminal, beautification of the highways and hiding away the undesirables of the Beetham and downtown Port-of-Spain, among other things, are so hurriedly done for 4,000 visiting dignitaries but a million people still wait for the pipe dream of Water for All, a license and ID that looks 21st century instead of more retro than the Beatles, a DNA Bill that lies fallow and allows child rapists to escape and the breathalyser which is yet to be implemented and allows drunk drivers continue to kill?

I'm just asking, because the answers seem simple enough. Maybe we need to start getting them when we ask the questions, instead of the bullshit replies we continue to accept from Imbert, Enill, Manning and the lot.

State of Fear

"When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing."- Enrique Jardiel Poncela

Michael Crichton died last week after a very private battle with cancer. Crichton was many things; a writer, a producer, a novelist and a critic. He was one of the first authors I was ever dedicated to reading and my introduction to his work at an early age helped to form a basis of interest in many spheres, from science, to medicine, to engineering to history and the arts. If Crichton was anything, it was that he was a jack of all trades when writing. His work was easy to read, which is a testament to his greatness as a writer. His legacy will undoubtedly live on. May he rest in peace.

Another's whose legacy is sure to live on, should the status quo be maintained, is Patrick Manning's. Though not for the glowing reasons attributed to Crichton earlier. Manning's latest flexion of his ever increasing intoxication with power came when he recently 'visited' a radio station to complain about the 'disrespect' shown to him and his government by two broadcasters during a newscast. Ignoring the obvious undertones of a Prime Minister personally visiting a media house, no doubt in an effort to intimidate, it is even more disturbing that the CEO of 94.1FM, 'O Brien Haynes, would immediately suspend the individuals in question without at least a hearing for their side of the story.

Whether Haynes acted out of support for the Prime Minister or fear of him is unknown, but highly inconsequential at this point. If anything, he should have been at pains NOT to have taken any action at all, until formal procedures were set in motion. This isn't an issue of a crime, a murder, a rape. It is an issue of two of the most basic rights enshrined in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, namely, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Media. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is frightening that the Prime Minister of a country can casually walk into a media house and saliently have individuals fired, regardless of the spin that Manning and his equally disappointing Minister of Information, Neil Parsanlal, a man who emerged from the bowels of the media, want to put on the incident.

But it speaks to a greater dimension that has now pervaded our society. It is as a result of the windfall revenues that the government has experienced over the last four years of hyper-inflated hydrocarbon prices. Intentionally or inadvertently, the government has succeeded in instilling a state of fear in the vast majority of citizens. And it has come about in subtle ways and in the name of progress, social justice and handouts.

While the obvious fear of being a victim of crime has exponentially increased in every sector of society, regardless of race and class, a more silent, insidious fear is being inculcated in specific sectors of the population. Sectors that any truly developed society require in order to function democratically and efficiently.

In the first instance, there is a fear amongst the unskilled or semi-skilled sector, highly involved in the CEPEP and URP projects, that protest or a show of disapproval against the government would be met with their termination and therefore, loss of income. So they stay quiet and accept the pittances. Their children are brought up to believe that this is their only means to survival and a dependency syndrome develops that keeps these workers enslaved and loyal to the state.

In another instance, contractors and business people who depend on government investment in their companies are fearful of losing lucrative opportunities should they be perceived to be acting or vocalising dissatisfaction with the current administration. Therefore, they don't say anything when corruption is blatantly practised under their purview. It is in their interest not to whistle-blow, and so the country loses.

Yet another, more relevant example is seen with the very media. The government provides many media houses with the revenue they require in order to keep functioning. It is by no fluke that 7 television stations, over 20 radio stations and almost 10 newspapers manage to stay afloat in a country with a market of just over 1 million people. This supersaturation of media has not made government more transparent or accountable, as is clearly evidenced by the comedy, nay, tragedy, that is a post cabinet news conference. Instead, many of those in the media would rather keep a fairly neutral line in terms of its editorials lest it be the focus of the withdrawal of government sponsorship and ultimately, bankruptcy. It is this fear that prevents the emergence of an activist media, intent on finding the truth, rather than simply reporting the spin fed to it by the Parsanlal types.

In the final, saddest anecdote, the government has successfully managed to silence the voice of the young intellectual class. Tertiary students, usually the most liberal, activist individuals in any society have been muted. They are fearful to speak out against the administration that pays their fees in full. A noble effort by the government to increase the number of university graduates has had the effect of enrolling many who see a degree as nothing more than a means to an end, with no sense of social activism. So when the media is attacked, the Guild of Students is strangely quiet. There are no longer any protests on campus because students no longer worry about their fees being raised. They are, what I like to call, the fearful complacents.

Ultimately, a government that rules from a throne of fear has more to fear for its own survival when things go south. They cannot continue to spend their way into garnering support and silence. One can hope that democracy prevails. But hope is not a strategy. Slowly but surely, people must be willing to rise from fear and challenge the government on their policies. The media must not be afraid to ask the hard hitting questions and demand transparency and accountability on behalf of its subscribers. The businessmen should not be fearful of losing a contract because they stood for integrity. Students should put aside their fear of victimisation in the name of standing up and demanding that our leaders lead by example and with responsibiliy.

For all our riches and aspirations, our pride and successes, Trinidad and Tobago has, now, more than ever, become a State of fear. And nothing but slivers of courage will be able to rescue us from our deepening abyss.

Dreams from his Father

Tomorrow is historic, regardless of the result of the election. America will either have its first non-white president or non-male vice-president. It will be the first time in more than a generation that a senator will be elected President and it will be almost 100 years since the last time neither a sitting president or vice-president will have their names on the ballot. It will be the first time in almost 200 years that the winner will assume office on the heels of consecutive two-term presidencies. And more, even almost mischievously, it will be the first time that the US will have a president who was not born in the land mass traditionally recognised as the United States of America.

Hardly surprising, I'm going all-in for Barack Obama. Not that I live under any misconceptions that an Obama presidency will cause the Bush turds to suddenly smell like roses. But that I believe that if anyone gets it, it's Obama. He's educated, a child on the tapering edge of the baby boom and the tonic that America needs if it hopes to regain respect and standing among other nations in the world.

He's also liberal and progressive. Words that the right have demonised, but which have been embraced by Western European societies to advance their civilizations by leaps and bounds, while leaving the New World behind. He supports the rights of minorities, the rights of women, is a supporter of stem cell research and doesn't believe that global warming at the hands of humans is a myth. He supports a tax code that will bring relief to the middle class. And importantly, he will be able to appoint judges that can balance a conservative leaning Supreme Court. But you know all this. So why reiterate it?

Well, for one, there's never much harm in overstating positives. But the real reason I restated it is because they're the reasons I'd like to see Obama become president. Not because he's half-black, or his campaign is historic or he's the less worse alternative to a potential Palin presidency (knocks on wood, revives my dying 4 leaf clover and does a rain dance). Because he IS already all of these things. It's because I support his stands and his policies.

And that brings me to hypocritical Trinis. It brings me to the ones who, a year to the DATE of this US election, had the opportunity to vote for change. To hope and believe that things could be better. To (use a quote sent recently from a good friend) see things for what they COULD be and not as they are. Because it's these same people who now parade around beating their chests for Obama. They flood the airwaves voicing their support for his historic candidacy. And for what reason, other than the color of his skin? Could they name a single Obama policy that they agree with? As a matter of fact, I'm sure these Manning loving, holier than thou, Bible-quoting types would disagree with the #1 ranked most liberal Senator and his #3 ranked running mate on issues of abortion, gay rights and embryonic stem cell research.

It's simply racism repackaged and a dearth of objectivity and constancy on their part. It's not sour grapes. Our elections are done and dusted, at least for another 4 years. But it speaks to our political immaturity that we can support the candidate professing change in a foreign land, while our own Rome burned and we twiddled our thumbs while staining our index fingers for the status quo.

But tomorrow night, by all accounts, will be Barack's night. Whether he gets to 270 early on, if at all, is left to be seen. But his campaign has broken barriers and given people a reason to be energised. It has levelled the competition and organised its supporters in unprecedented fashion. And come tomorrow night, the coronation of audacious hope will signal the end of the beginning, as he inherits a land broken, a people more in need now than they have been for over 70 years and a world looking towards him for guidance in the face of global uncertainty.

Raindrops keep Falling...

Have you ever seen the rain fall in the wrong direction? Its silvery wisps gradually intensifying to crystal drops then to angry, pounding waves, each trying to outdo each other. The lush, green hills have faded into obscurity, veiled now by a white sheet of precipitation. The birds have gone silent.
The rustling leaves, gently portending the impending deluge have been replaced by battered foliage.

And unlike the way it began, it stops suddenly. Lightning crashes and the wind picks up where the cloudburst left off. Silence is replaced by more silence. Eerie pervasions tempt the heavens once more. This time, the downpour begins, accompanied by its supporting cast of light, sound and air. Unrefined souls may curse the deities. I turn off the music to listen to the symphony that has been provided by Heaven. I turn my head around to engage the beauty of the Earth.

The camera can capture but a fleeting moment; no substitute for the first hand ocular experience and a grave injustice to the magnificence that has just been witnessed. It reinforces an appreciation for life. It hastens us to put into perspective, life’s petty and petit dramas. It calms and brings sanity to the insanity of daily life. For others, it may be a twenty minute spell of rain that brings inconvenience, damp and cold. For me, it is a welcome interlude and a new beginning.

The birds sing again to pierce the deafening silence, no doubt prompted by the feast unearthed by the driving monsoon. It is over now. The breeze will blow chill tonight. Lovers will entangle in embraces, fuelled by the aphrodisiac of the air. And me? I will sip graciously from the vino chalice. I will appreciate the moon. I will think of my own. I will promise. I will dream fearlessly for if the rain can fall in the wrong direction, then so can I.

The Audacity of Hope

'There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America.'-Barack Obama

Barack Obama has all but sealed the deal. And for the first time in America’s illustrious 231 year history, a major party will not send a white male to the presidential race. That he should emerge from the Democratic party never seemed in doubt, but in an election year where change is the theme, it cannot be more fitting that it is embodied by the son of a Kenyan immigrant with Muslim roots.

Tragic though it may be, Hillary Clinton’s inevitable coronation fell flat in the popular wave of support that has now landed Obama the nomination. It may have proven to be Hillary’s first and only shot at the nomination. What must be even more disheartening for her is Hillary’s calculated approach to it, refusing in 2004 to challenge the incumbent Bush 43 on the grounds of inexperience and being a first term junior senator from New York. Obama in 2008 is what Hillary could have been in 2004. The only difference is that he took the risk and challenged the mainstream thinking.

Now that the nomination is secured, she and her campaign have resorted to desperate tactics. They want to change the yardstick by which the nomination should be decided. In essence, they claim that she is the more electable than Obama and would pose a greater challenge to John McCain in the general election. What then, is the point of holding 54 primaries if, at the end of it all she assumes the ‘elitist’ position of telling the people that they don’t know what’s good for themselves and that superdelegates should decide the nomination.

Secondly, she is trying to have the votes in Michigan and Florida count, even though those states were forewarned about the consequences (ie. loss of 100% of their delegates at the DNC convention) of holding their primaries too early. At best, it is a dishonest way of adding to her delegate count since, following the rules as set down by the party, neither Obama nor Edwards campaigned in Florida and did not even have their names on the ballot in Michigan. It is exactly the kind of politics that Obama has denounced on the trail. It is a guttural, do-whatever-it takes, bring-down-whomever-gets-in-my-way politics that Americans seem to have found a way out of, through Obama.

And Obama himself, dogged lately by accusations of elitism and Rev. Wright, has emerged above the fray and positioned himself to become, if elected, perhaps the greatest statesmanesque president since Kennedy. And for good reason. His speeches inspire. His message is one of hope. It is, ironically, in the midst of change and a look to the future, a throwback to the past, where America was viewed as a nation of hope. Where dreams could be realized if one worked hard. Not the capitalistic mess that it has become, where health is in shambles, veterans are taken for a ride and spending is out of control. Obama is the voice of hope. He is the agent of change that people choose to believe in.

But he will have a myriad of challenges. He has to deal with a record deficit and an unpopular war. He will, if elected, for the first time in living memory and discounting the Cold War, inherit a battle that neither he nor his party initiated. And he may even have to battle more than John McCain leading up to the fall election.

Clinton is mortally wounded. The rising tide of young voters and widespread apathy for what passes as normal behaviour in Washington has denied her what she viewed was an entitlement. The Clinton brand is damaged. Bill has hurt his standing in the African American community. There seems to be no respite from the hemorrhage of supporters defecting to the Obama camp. Clinton will want another shot at the presidency. At 60, she probably will have only one more realistic chance, in 2012. And unless she plans to mount an insurgent campaign against an incumbent Obama, it would serve her better if McCain is elected this year to the White House. The impetus that she will gain should McCain fail to vastly improve on his predecessor will once again set in motion a much better prepared Clinton machine to assume the Presidency from what will more than likely be a one-term stint from McCain.

It is Obama’s Achilles’ heel. He may have won the nomination this time. But for all intents and purposes, it will be his only chance. He will either create the most significant bit of history since the abolition of slavery or will fade into the background as another ‘has run.’ It is a challenge and a tragedy for a man of 46. But it is the embodiment of the message that he has disseminated since he announced for the presidency. The message of hope. It is perhaps an indictment on American society as a whole that such a message should resonate so deeply. That things have gotten so bad that they see Obama as a knight in shining armor coming to rescue them. Moreover, foreign policy has been so bad that the world looks on, almost urging Americans not to screw this one up.

They are expectations that Obama will have to play down. Tangible change will not be immediate. In a world of mass media and the internet, he will be the most scrutinized president in history. Any faux pas will be pounced upon as evidence of inexperience and naivety. Success will bring the inevitable challenges, but more so, it will bring to an end the 20 year old Bush-Clinton dynasty. And unless Obama decides to offer Clinton the Vice Presidential post, it will be the first time in almost 24 years, that neither a Bush nor a Clinton would have their names on the ticket. It is this paradigm shift that will allow Obama to capitalize on the notion of change but it is also from such high levels of approval initially, that the only way to go would be down. It is almost surreal that Americans will know the result of their vote on Guy Fawkes day. In a fairytale world, it couldn’t be more perfect.

His rhetoric is almost flawless. His taglines are catchy and they resonate. He has risen above the challenges of name recognition versus the Clinton machine, to name vilification (Osama anyone?), to defending his religious affiliations. He has won the most states, the most votes and the most delegates. He has won the admiration and respect of millions. He is the presumptive nominee, despite the machinations of the Clinton campaign. And, for whatever it’s worth, he has my endorsement. America needs Barack Obama. The world needs Barack Obama. And for 12 hours on November 4th, 2008, if Americans vote with the courage of their convictions, audacious hope would have gotten a man elected to the most powerful position in the world.

'Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.'- Barack Obama