.::The Official General Election 2015 Thread::.

[SiR8081]

dougla boy I end up mixing you up with the other tuner with a similar name. but there is still not much difference between your posts

Proper Procurement legislation finally in parliament.

As the Senate debates the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Bill, 2014 today, the private sector and civil-society groups are calling on the public to join them in urging the government to have the bill passed before Parliament is prorogued next month. Making the call was chairman of the Private Sector Civil Society Group on Public Procurement Winston Riley during a press conference at the Normandie Hotel, St Ann’s. He said civil society had endorsed the bill with a few amendments to be implemented as promised by the government.

“That is, the whole question of a proper definition of a procuring entity which does not confuse the issue of ‘procuring entity’ with ‘public body,’ and a look again at the issue of disposal within the bill itself. “The third one has to do with the role of civil society in the bill itself. What we want is a corps of people who have a direct interest in the whole question of procurement and are able to give guidance to the issue of procurement and the regulations,” Riley said. He said internationally, civil society had been playing a greater role in governance because laws by themselves did not ensure good governance. “What ensures good governance is the activity of the people within the society and if that can be entrenched in the law, then I think we will go a long way in the whole issue of coming to terms with good governance,” Riley added.

He said it was a tremendous achievement that there was a bill before the House which was laid in the Senate last April 2. “The biggest issue with the bill is that there was an exception clause, 7 (2), which allows all relationships between our Government and another government and also any relationship our government has with financial institutions not to be subject to the bill,” Riley said. He said there had been a reversal of that clause as mandated by Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie, which was welcomed by the groups. Also in attendance were CEO of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce Catherine Kumar; president of the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T (AmCham) Hugh Howard; president of the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry Afra Raymond and president of the T&T Local Content Chamber (TTLCO) Lennox Sirjusingh.
Raymond, who also spoke, said the bill represented some 12 years of effort and must not become another Section 34. “We worked very hard to get a satisfactory bill. There are a couple of small points which we still need to work out and once we get that done and hopefully we get it passed in Parliament, we then want the entire act enacted. “We do not want another Section 34... first, last and never again. We don’t want the bill passed and then the section on public money is excluded, or the bill passed and the section on regulators excluded,” Raymond stressed.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05- ... ement-bill

Proposed procurement laws carry severe penalties including loss of contracts, blacklisting of firms, fines ranging from $500,000 to $5 million and jail terms of up to ten years, Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie said yesterday. Piloting the procurement bill in the Senate, Tewarie particularly warned the private sector there are penalties for making false accusations as well as for abusing the process by collusion and bid-rigging.


“The bill is saying: you want an ethical system, you want good governance, you want ethical practices in the conduct of government business—then both government and private sector must conform and align themselves to a new regime of higher ethical conduct in T&T,” Tewarie said.

The bill is geared to prevent corruption in public procurement processes and in the disposal of public property and to foster good governance, accountability, integrity, transparency, and value for money via establishment of the Office of Procurement Regulation. All public sector and state institutions, including government-to-government arrangements, come under the bill. “Any procurement not done in conformance with the act will be a crime and there are penalties for this.”

The bill establishes a new national agency with an independent regulator who will have oversight, set rules and probe and enforce terms and conditions. It removes duplication of effort by other enforcement agencies probing the same issues. Tewarie said the regulator, who reports to Parliament, can say “how to do things better and can interfere” if he or she does not like a process. The regulator can suspend a procurement process, probe it and enforce the law.

Every transaction will be recorded by the procurement office and scrutinised by the regulator, who assesses, reviews and notes it in reports to Parliament. Individuals will still have recourse to the courts to protect their rights, Tewarie said. The biggest beneficiary of the procurement process is the private sector, he said. The bill, therefore, establishes a central depository of private-sector entities that are potential beneficiaries.

“Every potential beneficiary must list their company and history documentation in the public repository. They’re responsible for the accuracy and can be called to account for accuracy by the regulator and the process,” Saying both public and private entities are held to very high standards of accountability, Tewarie said crimes under the bill include bid-rigging and other forms of collusion.


Whistle-blowers protected
“Penalties can include voiding of procurement contracts and blacklisting—ineligibility—referral to the Police Commissioner and DPP if the violation is criminal, a $500,000 fine and a one-year imprisonment for making false statements and stronger penalties for greater crimes. “There is a five-year penalty for one crime and seven- and ten-year jail terms for others and fines over $1 million to $5 million in the bill.”

Tewarie said, “The private sector’s responsibilities are to conform to the requirements of the act and subsequent regulations made by the procurement regulator. “Their responsibility is not to seek to exploit loopholes and not to collude and not to use the investigation process in a frivolous manner by complaining about proceedings if they’re not successful in a bid. “For example, there is a penalty here for making false accusations, and others for abusing the process by colluding and organising in advance to bid-rig.”

By providing for whistle-blower protection, he said, the bill also prohibits victimisation of whistle-blowers, their harassment, demotion, dismissal or negative treatment in any way after they give information to the police, DPP, Integrity Commission or regulator. The legislation prioritises local development and content in a project and can rule on foreign content.

Saying the bill was a promise of the People’s Partnership manifesto, Tewarie said, the Government had kept faith with recommendations on the bill by a parliamentary committee comprising government, opposition and independent members. He said while the Opposition didn’t oppose the recommendations, they hadn’t voted for it either. He said the joint select committee recommended regulations that should be presented by the Finance Minister.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05- ... s-proposed

Once this legislation is passed in the manner as described by Afra Raymond, all the swing voters will be leaning to the PP side.

This is one of the main things people want to see. A repeal of the CTB Act and have it replaced with something far more modern and comprehensive. This legislation will introduce a new dawn in trinidad. Finally, all special purpose state companies and govt to govt contracts will fall under this new legislation.

[machete]

dougla boy I end up mixing you up with the other tuner with a similar name. but there is still not much difference between your posts

Proper Procurement legislation finally in parliament.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05- ... s-proposed

Once this legislation is passed in the manner as described by Afra Raymond, all the swing voters will be leaning to the PP side.

This is one of the main things people want to see. A repeal of the CTB Act and have it replaced with something far more modern and comprehensive. This legislation will introduce a new dawn in trinidad. Finally, all special purpose state companies and govt to govt contracts will fall under this new legislation.

That legislation is actually pretty brilliant and something that will indeed change the face of Trinidad & Tobago and transparency, making us an even more attractive hub for international investment.

I must commend the PP for their excellent managing of our economy, something that PNM failed miserably at. Indeed I have little hope for PNM's future at managing our economy if they got into power. Their new advisor, (family of drug lord Rohan Sinanan) is remarkably out of his depth and naive when it comes to economics and finance.

In all honesty, I can't see anything happening that will allow for PNM to win the next general election.

In spite of the 'alleged' corruption, people are actually very pleased and optimistic about our general governance and I can't see PP losing.

I actually live in Diego Martin West (Rowley's seat) and I really feel he may lose this seat next election.

[dougla_boy]

gude....tawt was only chirren dat is get ketch with sleight ah hand still

[PapaC]

How much of allyuh does actually read those new bills? To be able to say it makes nense or it doesn't?

[Sumana.00]

I wont even comment nah palos..i hope this guy being paid.
The fact remains Trinidad and Tobago has been decaying under PNM .. but under the UNC/PP the decay has infact increased in rate..

While you boast.. of these achievements. ??
Has our corruption perception Index ever been at this level?
Are murder rates low or do people report less?
Has anyone to date checked our suicide rates... You know this is directly related to quality of life? If someone does the analysis you know how well the pp doing...

Steups I real fed up of these people who always saying PNM is the best and UNC is the best...
Man if I had meh way I put u and all of them in a bonfire. Set of political sheep.

firsty you wont comment...not because u ignoring me....but you cant defend that point.
As mentioned CPI is a perception...do a search it was discussed already.
murders have steadily increased...you cannot calculate how many people do not report so I dont understand ur point...the same could be said when pnm was in govt.
I eh know bout suicide....I doh know how you measure quality of life with horn or domestic matters.

I never say the PP is best....they have their issues and made numerous mistakes as expected with a 4 year govt...but it questions the pnm with its 50 years experience and still making "mistakes"

PP is not the best...its better....as i told ppl in the last election....vote for the lesser of the two evils....the party that you see results!!!

what i wonder..if PP in govt for only 4 years and we get soooo many facilities like childrens hospital, swimming facility, oncology centre (to be built), aviation school (to be built), interchange, highway extension, uwi south (to be built), costatt campus (to be built), niherst centre (to be built), roads and drains built daily, water for more ppl, etc. i can go on and on off the top of my head.


...it makes me wonder.....what has the PNM really been doing with the wealth and fat of this nation for the 50 years in power?!!!!!

PNM started the interchange. PNM started the highway plans, and PNM never built roads or box drain... and dis why people in Siparia and Princes Town does bun tyres cos dey roads cracking up, and Siparia is Kamla's back yard haha...

Sorry, PNM and UNC both same sheit, different colours...

sorry i was more referring to the pt lisas interchange

the interchange was the brainchild of UNC john humphrey so i doh even know what point you trying to make....same way you could say the point highway was the pnm idea...but PP built it!!!

PNM built road and drains for elections...not throughout the year.

as I said the lesser of two evils

The CPI Is calculated by looking at newspapers including things such as Mirror and Sunshine, it is a highly flawed index and one can speak to the persons running it to confirm.

[pioneer]

PNM had 8 years and they didn't get those projects completed. At least the UNC gets things done.

with some of these guys they dont see that all they see is race its an indian goverment so they have to get dem out that s all ,check out some of these pnm areas and see how they supporters living in these shanty towns and under develop areas they never fix them up

dem proud to drink drain water

[UML]

I wont even comment nah palos..i hope this guy being paid.
The fact remains Trinidad and Tobago has been decaying under PNM .. but under the UNC/PP the decay has infact increased in rate..

While you boast.. of these achievements. ??
Has our corruption perception Index ever been at this level?
Are murder rates low or do people report less?
Has anyone to date checked our suicide rates... You know this is directly related to quality of life? If someone does the analysis you know how well the pp doing...

Steups I real fed up of these people who always saying PNM is the best and UNC is the best...
Man if I had meh way I put u and all of them in a bonfire. Set of political sheep.

firsty you wont comment...not because u ignoring me....but you cant defend that point.
As mentioned CPI is a perception...do a search it was discussed already.
murders have steadily increased...you cannot calculate how many people do not report so I dont understand ur point...the same could be said when pnm was in govt.
I eh know bout suicide....I doh know how you measure quality of life with horn or domestic matters.

I never say the PP is best....they have their issues and made numerous mistakes as expected with a 4 year govt...but it questions the pnm with its 50 years experience and still making "mistakes"

PP is not the best...its better....as i told ppl in the last election....vote for the lesser of the two evils....the party that you see results!!!

what i wonder..if PP in govt for only 4 years and we get soooo many facilities like childrens hospital, swimming facility, oncology centre (to be built), aviation school (to be built), interchange, highway extension, uwi south (to be built), costatt campus (to be built), niherst centre (to be built), roads and drains built daily, water for more ppl, etc. i can go on and on off the top of my head.


...it makes me wonder.....what has the PNM really been doing with the wealth and fat of this nation for the 50 years in power?!!!!!

PNM started the interchange. PNM started the highway plans, and PNM never built roads or box drain... and dis why people in Siparia and Princes Town does bun tyres cos dey roads cracking up, and Siparia is Kamla's back yard haha...

Sorry, PNM and UNC both same sheit, different colours...

sorry i was more referring to the pt lisas interchange

the interchange was the brainchild of UNC john humphrey so i doh even know what point you trying to make....same way you could say the point highway was the pnm idea...but PP built it!!!

PNM built road and drains for elections...not throughout the year.

as I said the lesser of two evils

The CPI Is calculated by looking at newspapers including things such as Mirror and Sunshine, it is a highly flawed index and one can speak to the persons running it to confirm.

Correct is right!!!!

Over time, however, research has shown us that people's perceptions offer a reliable estimate of the nature and scope of corruption in a given country. The perceptions of country analysts, business people or the general public form the basis of our corruption indices, the Corruption Perceptions Index and the Global Corruption Barometer.

[mrtrini45]

way general rfari he shut up
pnm stop paying his internet bill

[rfari]

way general rfari he shut up
pnm stop paying his internet bill

I here, d'oh worry. I just need u and rest of the pp sheep to get comfortable in the ched. So go ahead, get comfy

[Hyperion]

Anil video come out, elections sooner than 2015.

[mrtrini45]

way general rfari he shut up
pnm stop paying his internet bill

I here, d'oh worry. I just need u and rest of the pp sheep to get comfortable in the ched. So go ahead, get comfy

cool
i think this ched should be change now to way
faris al rawi got his info from sources

Al-Rawi: Flying Squad report ‘unbelievable’

[mrtrini45]

how it was not mention here on tuner no ched on it

[UML]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

[de_dougla_smurf]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

[mrtrini45]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

yes we all know paid by the pnm and rowley

[RASC]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

yes we all know paid by the pnm and rowley

You really batting for that sheep of the year award boy... Hard luck no one seems to be taking on tho.

You need to up the trolling factor to get noticed bai haha

[rfari]

Wouldnt be surprised if today unc gonna do something srs to ruffle their supporters jimmies at the rally via guntas dressed in pnm tshirts.

[UML]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

so how do explain when the leaders make racial statements like "Calcutta ship" and "recalcitrant minority"?

Wouldnt be surprised if today unc gonna do something srs to ruffle their supporters jimmies at the rally via guntas dressed in pnm tshirts.

unless the pnm has already planned this as well and u just using reverse psychology (something u and rasc specialize in)

[rfari]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

so how do explain when the leaders make racial statements like "Calcutta ship" and "recalcitrant minority"?

These things were discussed already. They backpedal from the calcutta statement and recalcitrant minority referred to those who opposed the idea of the wi federation. That included both indian and afro ppl

[UML]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

so how do explain when the leaders make racial statements like "Calcutta ship" and "recalcitrant minority"?

These things were discussed already. They backpedal from the calcutta statement and recalcitrant minority referred to those who opposed the idea of the wi federation. That included both indian and afro ppl

yuh really cud say dat with a straight face?

rowley never made a statement revoking the comment and eric williams specifically referred to indians.....if you want to believe what they tell you go ahead.

it is the policy of this racist party. once is a mistake twice thrice is ah habit. it is enshrined in the party that you trying to defend it...and allyuh like to call ppl sheep

[rfari]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

so how do explain when the leaders make racial statements like "Calcutta ship" and "recalcitrant minority"?

These things were discussed already. They backpedal from the calcutta statement and recalcitrant minority referred to those who opposed the idea of the wi federation. That included both indian and afro ppl

yuh really cud say dat with a straight face?

rowley never made a statement revoking the comment and eric williams specifically referred to indians.....if you want to believe what they tell you go ahead.

it is the policy of this racist party. once is a mistake twice thrice is ah habit. it is enshrined in the party that you trying to defend it...and allyuh like to call ppl sheep

that grasp at straws tho

Sandy apologises for 'Calcutta' remarks
Story Created: Jan 7, 2013 at 10:59 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jan 8, 2013 at 12:15 PM ECT
People's National Movement (PNM) candidate for Roxborough/Delaford in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election Hilton Sandy has apologised for what was perceived as racist statements made at a public meeting on Sunday.
The Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) had critcised Sandy for his statements and provided an audio clip of Sandy at the meeting where he suggested that if they (his constituents) did not vote for the PNM, East Indians would move to Tobago and take over- that a ship from Calcutta was waiting to sail to Tobago pending the outcome of the election.
In a release to the press, Sandy apologised saying in the 45 years of service to Tobago,he conducted his duties with integrity and fairness, values upon which he built his private and public life.
"At a recent political meeting, I was unfortunately overwhelmed by the exuberant atmosphere and erred by referencing what has been perceived as a racial statement. To all who have been offended by this statement I offer my sincerest apologies," stated Sandy.
"During my years in the service of the public I have always been inspired and guided by the founding principles of the movement to which I belong that said that we are a mobilisation of all the forces in the community, cutting across race and religion, class and colour, with emphasis on united action by all the people in the common cause," he added.
At a press conference at the Parliament yesterday, when questioned Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said that Sandy should apologise and stressed that his comments were not representative of the PNM.
"It was unfortunate that Mr Sandy would make that kind of reference to some song, it was unnecessary and whatever implications it had, he should apologise for it and it forms no part of the PNM campaign, I know many people would jump to grab at it to prove that the PNM is running a racial campaign, we certainly are not, the people of Tobago subscribe to the principles of the national anthem, every creed and race must find an equal place," he said.
Rowley also refuted reports that both he and THA chief secretary Orville London had cheered Sandy when he made the comment, "That's an absolute untruth and in fact Mr Sandy was spoken to about it and I would expect that he would rectify his misstep or misgivings. It forms no part of PNM policy or PNM campaign."

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/San ... 60651.html

[rfari]

in a nutshell

Indian nationalism became entrenched in Trinidad politics with the appearance of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the 1956 elections. Bhadase Sagan Maraj dou-
bled as leader of the major Hindu organization, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, and the
new party. The result was a party that was perhaps closer to Hindu communal association
than orthodox political party. It lacked the basic political structures (party groups, a con-
stitution, etc.) and relied instead on pundits, prayer meetings and the like to spread a
political message clothed in the authority of religious and racial sanctions.

The PDP’s offspring, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), inherited the mantle of an
Indian party, though with an infusion of multi-racial appointees imposed from the top of its
still haphazard party structure. Some Indo-Trinidadian intellectuals were among the critics
of the communalization of Trinidad Indian politics. ‘It was a great pity,’ they wrote of the
DLP, ‘that the broader, national issues were not emphasized as against the narrow racial
problems.’ On the PDP/DLP continuum of the 1950s and 1960s they observed:

The link between the Maha Sabha and the politicians ensured a preoccupation with the cul-
tural concerns of one racial grouping and discouraged the mass of East Indians from looking
critically at the society and their leaders.
A leader was judged by his ability to erect temples or chant the rudiments of Hindi. His
ability to discuss the problems of an emergent country was hardly even considered.

The communalization of Indian politics in Trinidad was heightened with the rise of Eric
Williams and his People’s National Movement (PNM) in 1956. Williams was heir to a hun-
dred years of African struggle at the centre of Trinidad politics. Africans inevitably pre-
dominated in the PNM’s hierarchy and membership. Williams’ gifted leadership unleashed
the pent-up African nationalist fervour of decades, as British colonialism seemed headed
for certain demise. Yet the PNM was never a narrowly communal party, in the manner of the PDP and the DLP. It aspired to be a genuine national party which reflected its multi-racial society.
In the prospect of PNM rule, the more extreme elements of Indian nationalism saw writ large all the fears of their forefathers, who had consistently sought communal representa-
tion since the early 1900s. For H. P. Singh in 1956, ‘A vote for a PNM candidate [would be]
a vote against the Indian community . . . .’ And PNM rule meant, in the words of a Singh
disciple, ‘racist black fascist neo-colonial domination.’

Singh was an executive member of the DLP but chafed at the efforts of its leaders to impose a multi-racial executive on its Hindu base. He insisted on a totally ‘Indian organization – call it a political party if you will . . . . We are conscious of the full implications of the advocacy of such a measure . . . ,’

It was to this end that he formed the small Indian Association of Trinidad and Tobago in
1962.

Criticism of this nature, compounded by a PNM defeat at the federal elections of 1958,
caused Williams to call the Hindu-based DLP a “‘recalcitrant and hostile minority” . . .
masquerading as the Indian Nation and prostituting the name of India “for its selfish
and reactionary political ends.”’

In India itself, Williams showed, the (Trinidad) Maha
Sabha’s namesake had been denounced by leader Jawaharlal Nehru as representing ‘small
upper class reactionary groups taking advantage of the religious passions of the masses
. . . ’

He dismissed the local Maha Sabha types as ‘reactionary Indian politicians who see
the political leader as a man of racialism. . . .’

http://www.unesco.org/culture/caribbean ... ap6_en.pdf

[RASC]

It'll be a welcome return to the tuner of old. WHERE EVERY OTHER THREAD was about either:

. moving to Canada
. "I hate PNM"
. how to fill out Canadian visa applications
. PNM discrimination
. F.S. EVERYTHING-OWNER MIGRATING

[rfari]

It'll be a welcome return to the tuner of old. WHERE EVERY OTHER THREAD was about either:

. moving to Canada
. "I hate PNM"
. how to fill out Canadian visa applications
. PNM discrimination
. F.S. EVERYTHING-OWNER MIGRATING

i remember dem days when i was working in st clair and driving past the canadian embassy. sad sight. but they have nothing to fear, like i have been saying, ppg winning 21-20. dais my prediction at that point

[mrtrini45]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

yes we all know paid by the pnm and rowley

You really batting for that sheep of the year award boy... Hard luck no one seems to be taking on tho.

You need to up the trolling factor to get noticed bai haha

i not batting for no award i have 1 user name not multiple accounts on tuner so u go find is me and a few who see race comments here on tuner thank god is not many people here tho to see those who are so raciest on this forum some of the other guys and gals just ignore these cheds let the pnm tuners defend glad to see the pics and comments some of them post up

[RASC]

OK this time in English. PNM gave you GATE.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

4 years less of this looking forward to 6 more

Everyone knows dem injun wit dey placard was paid to be there...

And

You cant hold a party responsible for the actions of its supporters, just like how you cant hold a government responsible for the actions of its ministers.

yes we all know paid by the pnm and rowley

You really batting for that sheep of the year award boy... Hard luck no one seems to be taking on tho.

You need to up the trolling factor to get noticed bai haha

i not batting for no award i have 1 user name not multiple accounts on tuner so u go find is me and a few who see race comments here on tuner thank god is not many people here tho to see those who are so raciest on this forum some of the other guys and gals just ignore these cheds let the pnm tuners defend glad to see the pics and comments some of them post up

Punctuation is your friend if you would like to come across as making a legitimate and comprehensible contribution. Take a breath. Calm down and don't take tuner on so seriously.

[mrtrini45]

OK this time in English. PNM gave you GATE.

you are correct but sad to say it did not work out for there supporters back then they kept on failing
most of them who used it

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

edit: double post.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

For those who were saying that Growley was condoning the actions of certain protesters...

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05- ... ances-pnm-‘plants’

Rowley distances PNM from ‘plants’

While union leaders, civil-society groups and People’s National Movement (PNM) supporters made their way in a disciplined march through the streets of Port-of-Spain, a few men wearing red T-shirts picketed the Parliament on Wrightson Road with blatantly racist messages. “No More Indian Prime Minister, PNM must rule.”


“Power to the African with Captain Rowley.” “Jail for this Indian Gov’t with Dr Rowley in charge.” The picketers were the only people wearing red among a few hundred People’s Partnership supporters wearing yellow United National Congress T-shirts. But Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley was quick to dismiss implications that the men were PNM supporters, and attributed the rogue protesters to the People’s Partnership Government.

“We understand that people dressed in red and carrying placards with racist statements have been planted throughout the march,” Rowley said in a release to the media. “Clearly, those who wish this march had never happened would stop at nothing to discredit it and distract from our real purpose, which is to highlight the gross mismanagement of our nation's affairs and the wanton and unabated corruption being presided over by the Prime Minister.”

Rowley said the PNM rejected out of hand what he described as an “underhanded” attempt to change the conversation surrounding the march. “We distance ourselves from the divisive statements, born out of the deceptive and dirty tactics of those who wish to continue to rape our treasury and continue doing wrong against the will of the people.” The incident, which spread wildly across social media, was the only one to mar a nearly three-hour march through the capital city.

The march, which saw people of all ages, ethnicities and social backgrounds walking, singing and chanting on the city streets, focused on what protesters described as poor governance by the PP coalition Government. While the march had a large presence of union members, politicians such as Independent Liberal Party leader Jack Warner, former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, interim ILP deputy leader Lyndira Oudit and United National Congress member Mikela Panday were present.