8 posts tagged “patrick manning”

"After arriving in Costa Rica, deposed President Manuel Zelaya said he had been kidnapped by soldiers in a "coup".

Mr. Zelaya, elected for a nonrenewable four-year term in 2006, had wanted a vote to extend his time in office.

His arrest came just before the start of a referendum ruled illegal by the Supreme Court and opposed by Congress.

There had also been resistance within Mr. Zelaya's own party regarding the President's desire to extend his time in office."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8123126.stm

Indeed Manuel Zelaya was constitutionally elected to serve four years as president of Honduras but has been removed by the military and taken into exile. So why am I not sympathetic to his cause? This one is very easy to answer.

Mr. Zeyala was not contented with serving one term as President.  Does he believe that he is the answer to the problems in the country and that no one else is qualified enough to resolve the issues? So many leaders in Central America, the Caribbean region and Africa too often do not want to give up power and would do anything even break the constitution that put them there in the first place to become the next Chavez.

Mr. Zeyala wanted a referendum to extend his stay in office or to give himself the opportunity to run for office again - this is totally against the constitution of the land. The Supreme Court was not sympathetic to his cause and ruled that the referendum was illegal. However, the President convinced that his power and wishes were more important than that of the highest court of the land moved ahead with his plans for the referendum even though members of his own party were against this process.

Mr. Zeyala should consider himself very fortunate that the military exiled him and did not arrest him as is done in most banana republics. The long reach of Chavez and Chavez like aspirations must be stopped and was rightly done in my opinion. 

Everyone is condemning the actions of the military.  What have they done/do you realize what took place?  Simply put, they protected the constitution that they swore to protect and serve!

I have no pity for the leftist Zeyala - move on with your life and consider yourself very fortunate sir. As for the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago who spoke out on behalf of the 'rule of law' ... do your job and take care of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago - you are so lacking and the people are still without water and electricity in many areas.

Move on...

I don’t usually pay attention to the utterances of Mr. Basdeo Panday but today I have to agree with his assessment of the Prime Minister’s desire to member states of the Caribbean and also with his desire to form a political union with those willing to grab petro crumbs.

It looks like Mr.  Manning wants to one up Dr. Eric Eustace Williams and ‘give birth’ to the already tried and failed West Indies Federation that died on May 31, 1962.

I have to agree with Mr. Panday and endorse his views (and yes I still believe that Bas should depart from the leadership of his party- for unity of the opposition).

The following quote was taken from the Trinidad Newsday newspaper written By Andre Bagoo Thursday, June 25 2009

“But Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday yesterday criticized Manning for getting his priorities wrong.

“The duty of the Government is to look after its own citizens first,” Panday told reporters hours after Manning made his announcement in Parliament. “Right now I do not think we can afford (this). We can’t afford it because our people still do not have water. Our roads, our hospitals are in a bad way. No, at this point in time the first and most important consideration is our own people.

“I agree that prosperity in the other Caribbean countries is important because it means they can buy goods and services from us,” Panday admitted, but he saw the matter more for the private sector as opposed to public sector intervention. “To be prosperous they (the other Caribbean islands) must invite the private sector because this is a free economy.”

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,102649.html

August 10, 2K8

Just imagine a local government councilor is elected to serve in office for three years then vacate his or her office and new elections held to bring in new blood or reelect some because they did a good job or simply because of party favoritism. Having said that, it should be noted that the present slate of councilors would be in office for six years and this would give them two terms in office without having to face the polls for a second time. Why? That's because the present government, led by Pastor Patrick Manning, has decreed that changes need to be put in place before the present cast or incoming actors get the opportunity to face the electorate!

Now taking into consideration, the current state of the society and the general discontent of the populace in a time of plenty, in this 'land of milk and honey' (akin to sweetness of crude oil prices), everyone needs to pause and question the wisdom or foolishness of the ruling party with their pussyfooting in Parliament and the subversion of the democratic process. Certainly this feels like the government is once again playing 'politricks' with the management of the political process. Why overhaul the system if you have confidence in the electorate to hand you the keys to local government administration? I say, face the polls and win the election, after which you can overhaul the system, recreate the boundaries to satisfy a partisan demographic and rule for life - ENT yuh know that is the Trini way!

Ok, ok so that is wishful thinking because it would be better to stack the cards in your favor before facing the polls -Minister  (as in  doing the Lords work) Manning, aka PM of Trinidad and Tobago, has a system in place where he always comes over as a preacher in Church whenever he addresses the populace - he ministers to the citizenry because only he knows best and we must remember the Kaiso, Patrick we stepping up with you ... indeed Patrick is the 'Man".

So now that "yuh put dem dey" do you believe that "your" government is doing a good job and more importantly do you believe that they are afraid to face the polls at this time?  It is a given that  everyone is dissatisfied with the management of the country's resources, bedlam prevails with crime out of control and food prices are soaring beyond the value of earnings that sound  great but can't do much at the supermarket...

The stench or this man's arrogance is nauseating but most Trinbagonians will stick to what they know and would repeat their mantra of "who we go put" but would not resolve to remove the wool that is covering their eyes - do that and surely one would see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Tunnel vision is great if you choose to focus on the goal of doing that which is correct but then again Trinis are all about having a good time and politricking with Rum and Roti politics.

So do I think that the present administration is afraid to face the electorate now? I think so, hell yes; I believe that to be the case... now what do you think?

The Prime Minister stated that Dr. Keith Rowley was fired for Hooligan behavior exhibited at a Cabinet meeting. He went on to state that Cabinet was aware of the plan to include a 60 room Hotel at the site of the Performing Arts Center since last year. He even produced a document showing that the Hotel was part and parcel of the Center and that Dr. Rowley should have known about these plans. Well the PM was literally caught with his pants down. The following paragraph was taken from Trinicenter.com; please read.

“The Prime Minister further rejected Rowley's claim of questionable financial dealings at UDECOTT and said that the state-owned company is being run quite efficiently. Manning said that cabinet had knowledge of this hotel since last year. He proceeded to show a plan and point out the area on it for the hotel of sixty rooms. Manning said the hotel was not put in surreptitiously by anybody; it was always part of the design. Manning further said that they had articulated to the public at some time that the Academy of the Performing Arts in Port of Spain had comprised a sixty room hotel.”
http://www.trinicenter.com/tnt/2008/250408.html

Ok now that you have read the paragraph please note that the original plans for the performing arts center submitted and approved by Town and Country planning never had a 60 room hotel as part of the plan. As a matter of fact no subsequent additional plans were ever submitted to Town and Country regarding the inclusion of a 60 room hotel for the Performing Arts Center.  Please read the following paragraph also taken from the Trinicenter article.

“TV6 later showed an official document that showed the hotel was not part of the plan for the Academy of the Performing Arts. Former NAR government minister Eden Shand showed documents that contradicted what Manning said. Shand said, "Last night I heard the news about a sixty room hotel, and I know the process in this country through which you can do that. The process was town and country planning approval; you can check with them if you have that, and certificate of environmental clearance. I went this morning to see whether in fact the sixty room hotel was part of the clearance. It is not."

http://www.trinicenter.com/tnt/2008/250408.html

Now we have these facts and as a result we now know that Dr. Rowley was speaking the truth regarding the inclusion of the hotel and that PM Manning was only providing information to mislead. The reasons given by the Prime Minister for firing Dr. Rowley looks very unfavorable on the part of the Prime Minister’s office and smells of impropriety at this time.

Today’s report in the newspaper informed that Dr. Keith Rowley was "fired" from the post of Trade Minister. Another of the ‘old guard’ is gone. If indeed this firing has anything to do with his disapproval of the construction of the proposed 60 room hotel (and other problems associated with UDECOTT and their power to act Carte blanche on projects) then the Prime Minister needs to face the nation and explain his actions.

Another hotel in a capital city that just put in place the Hyatt - do we really need another hotel? If this hotel was proposed for Tobago then I am certain Dr. Rowley would not have complained because Tobago is a destination for tourists and the added rooms would be welcomed. 

Dr. Rowley who has been a member of the PNM for over 27 years and is considered to be one of the PNM’s strongest platform speaker, as reported in today’s Guardian newspaper also angered Mr. Manning when he challenged him (Manning) for the leadership of the party. I am sure the Prime Minister kept that memory and may have considered Dr. Rowley someone who could not be trusted and not a “true team player” – who knows?

The Prime Minister has accused Dr. Rowley of misconduct during a cabinet subcommittee meeting and advised him that his Ministerial position would be revoked. Did you get that? He was not warned and this action seems to have been on the agenda plate of the Prime Minister.  Just take a look and one will see that anyone with any backbone, intelligence and more importantly experience has been or is in the process of being swept away.  Has anyone taken notice of the manner in which the Prime Minister addresses the nation? He speaks as if he is a preacher delivering a sermon. The liturgy always ends with the common understanding that the PNM is in control and all will be well - just hold on! Yea right, in the mean time prices are escalating and the travesty of closing Caroni limited in now shining brightly.

Mr. Manning was not surprised by the actions of UDECOTT to construct a 60-room hotel on the Princess Building Grounds in Port-of-Spain as part of a performance arts academy, which is currently under construction. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,77559.html   Dr. Rowley had the interests of the public purse as the foundation of his action to protest and for this he was fired. 

People of Trinidad and Tobago, is this why you voted the PNM into office?  When you are told that the high price of food is a result of that which is happening in the World food markets don't be fooled. That is partially true but the main reason for the problem at home is that we did not plan to feed our selves - agriculture was a side issue.

So now that Dr. Rowley has paid the price because he attempted to protect your public purse, what do you think that you should do? Maybe everyone should start by letting the representatives know that you are dissatisfied with the current status quo in the country; that you expect better from them. Force the Prime Minister to explain his actions and demand to see the real plans to get the country out of the malaise that has set in. Become proactive and stop being passive and non reactive to these developments.

Do you really understand what the 20/20 vision plans are and how the government plans to get us there? I really don’t care about that at this time. What every citizen should be concerned about is, what are the government's plans to diversify the economy and more importantly provide the mechanisms to ensure that we have alternative food items produced locally to weather the growing food storm that is tearing economies apart globally.

The Rowley issue should remind people that the government was elected into office to enhance the lives of the people and not intended to promote the dreams of one man who wants to leave his stamp on the country regardless of the outcome.

Mar05, 2K8

Lacouray, scandal whatever you want to call it, we have a soap opera in the making. The cast of characters are well known with the lead role taken by the honorable Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Oil rich Trinidad and Tobago, the spoiler role is taken by Ramesh Maharaj and the jilted party seems to be Arthur Lok Jack.  The story started all the way back in 2006 when the Prime Minister, his wife Hazel Manning and several government Ministers took a test flight to Antigua on a Bombardier jet.  Oh yes this story is sweet.

I do believe that Caribbean Airlines (CA) was launched January 1, 2007 so Mr. Arthur Lok Jack has to come clean and state if the plan to get involved in the Executive Jet service was that of CA or the government. He said that he took the idea to the government but isn't it fishy (or just coincidental) that Bombardier was selected? The entire process moved ahead too quickly... what about the tendering process? What other aircraft manufacturers submitted bids and how come we never heard of this venture before and only to learn that the plane is already being built.

Shame and scandal in de family is more that appropriate here. One has to question the decisions made by Mr. Lok Jack when it was reported that not all members of the board of directors were interested in getting into the Executive Jet business. Mr. Lok Jack expects that business from government alone will offset the cost for the aircraft (just remember the government is also paying for the aircraft).

Another thing to question is this, how many trips are made my government officials on a monthly basis (just an estimate) and what is the cost? After you get that figure factor in the cost for the use of the private aircraft then tell me if the money in the Treasury is being spent prudently. 

The Story will only get better, next up is the question posed Mr. Ramesh Maharaj; this question is one that warrants an answer: "The Prime Minister must tell the country whether the initiatives to acquire a jet for his use originated in the boardroom of Caribbean Airlines or whether it originated from the Prime Minister and/or the Government".

That is it in a nutshell. In other words was the purchase of the aircraft above board or just a means to an end.

Jan19, 2K8

Patos has done it again and right under the nose of a population who don’t seem to get it. The murder rate is escalating and all types of criminal activities are getting out of hand. So when citizens decide to protect themselves by hiring private armed guards within community crime watch groups the government was against this move. Now we learn that the Prime Minister and certain government ministers and agencies are being protected by a private company where the minimum pay per guard is $10,000.00 per month and with a maximum of $25,000 per month for certain positions in the new force.  Of course the company is located in the Prime Minister’s constituency and the guards are all ex police and military officers. Having noted that, the question arises about the role of the security detail of the state that once protected the Prime Minister and other ministers.  They are not good enough to protect the Prime Minister but just right for the job of protecting the citizens of the country – nice job Mr. PM. I wonder what the people who voted the PNM into office are thinking now. Just imagine a minimum cost of $750,000.00 per month is being spent to protect the Prime Minister and family and other Government ministers when the police could be doing it at no additional cost to the country. What are the military personal protecting and why can’t they be more involved now that the criminals are waging an 'undercover war' against the citizens of the country?  Patos has done it again and with this ground breaking move has become the first PM of Trinidad and Tobago to say, without uttering a word, that the Police service of Trinidad and Tobago really sucks!

Honorable Patrick Manning

Jan03. 2K8.
Prime Minister Manning is convinced that the Government will get control and improve the seemingly cancerous crime situation that exists presently. He is confident that there would be improvements this year, 2008 and boldly stated that much while taking his first official tour of the New Hyatt 5 star hotel in Port of Spain.  Apparently the PM does not read the daily news papers or no one keeps him up to date with the current statistics – we are off to an inauspicious start that has already made the headlines beating back the death toll in Iraq for the same period. The PM believes that the only problem is the drug trade and is expecting to receive a boost in cutting the drug deliveries shortly: "We are getting three OPV (offshore patrol vessels); we are buying six fast patrol boats, four armed helicopters, interceptors... It is a whole gamut, all of those decisions are already taken” as reported in the Trinidad Express Newspaper.  Everyone is aware that it goes deeper than that with the total social structure of the society in question.  However, the PM has to start somewhere and he needs to make the nation feel that his administration is about to fix the problem. Let’s hope that he is on the money just as he was with his election predictions. I pray that he is correct but the trend does not support this conclusion.