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

[janfar]

Hearing same but TV6 twitter feed dry.

[rfari]

[janfar]

She musbe get a box drain contract.

[UML]

Pt. Fortin

Unity under PPG

Rent-a-crowd of course

[Habit7]

Integrity Commission member quits

Published on May 20, 2015, 10:19 pm AST
By Anna Ramdass






Chairman of the Integrity ­Commission retired Justice Zainool Hosein confirmed last night that Dr Shelly-Anne Lalchan has resigned from the five-member commission.

He said Lalchan submitted a letter of resignation which was forwarded to President Anthony ­Carmona.

Well-placed sources told the Express Lalchan's resignation will be effective June 1.

Sources further indicated Hosein is to meet with President Carmona some time today to officially discuss the resignation as the President would need to find a new member to fill the vacancy.

The Express was also reliably informed that Lalchan's decision to quit was purely coincidental to the position the commission took on emailgate, as she had signalled her intent to resign some time ago due to personal issues.

The Express understands further that Lalchan was an active member of the commission and lent full support to the investigations, not just on emailgate but other matters before it.

The Express was told by sources that deputy chairman Justice Sebastian Ventour has also resigned, but this could not be confirmed last night.

The Express contacted Ventour at his office at the Hugh Wooding Law School earlier yesterday for comment on the commission's decision, but he declined, pointing out that when the commission began its probe into emailgate, he was acting chairman at the time.

He opted not to answer any questions when asked about Dr Keith Rowley's call for the commission to provide further information other than its decision to close the emailgate probe.

Later, calls were placed to him to confirm whether he had resigned, but he could not be contacted.

Why did she resign?

Lalchan's resignation comes on the heels of the commission issuing a letter to Israel Khan, SC, which stated the commission had terminated its investigation into the emailgate affair. Khan is the attorney for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and former attorney general Anand Ramlogan.

It could not be determined whether Lalchan has resigned as a result of the commission's position to end its emailgate probe, but sources said Lalchan has allegedly always had "issues" with Hosein and they were both at loggerheads for some time.

When told this last night, Hosein said Lalchan's resignation letter certainly did not reflect such. The Express understands Lalchan cited personal reasons for her resignation.

When pressed with questions about whether the commission would explain its decision on emailgate, Hosein told the Express the Integrity in Public Life Act should be closely studied.

Hosein refused to divulge further information and requested the Express seek answers from the commission's registrar and communications officer.

The Express repeatedly tried to reach both these persons without success yesterday.

Numerous calls were made and messages were also sent to Lalchan, and she too refused to answer or return any sort of correspondence.

When the Express called her cellphone, the person who answered asked if a reporter was calling. The person then indicated Lalchan, an ophthalmologist, was with a patient.

The Integrity Commission was established under Sections 138 and 139 of the Constitution and its members are appointed by the President after consultations with both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Hosein, a retired Court of Appeal judge, has been chairing the commission since being appointed by Carmona on November 21, 2014. He replaced former chairman Ken Gordon whose tenure expired.

The other members of the commission who continued to serve under Hosein are Justice Sebastian Ventour (retired), who also served as a judge of the Supreme Court for 14 years; and Deonarine Jaggernauth, a petroleum and environmental engineer.

Pete London, an accountant, was appointed at the same time as Hosein.

Sources told the Express Hosein stands by the commission's decision to end the emailgate investigation, as it had utilised all available options it had to thoroughly probe the matter.

Record of collapse

The Integrity Commission has a record of collapsing due to controversies in the past.

Lalchan is the first member to resign under Hosein's tenure. However, a letter was sent to Carmona in 2013, warning of her suitability to be a member, but the President stood firm on the appointment.

Before her appointment, Tunapuna resident Horace Grant wrote to Carmona, calling on him to reconsider Lalchan's appointment because of "grave concerns".

One of the issues was an allegation that Lalchan had "broken the regulations of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago by advertising her private practice publicly", which was in violation of the regulations of the board.

The letter also questioned whether Lalchan has any "predetermined political leaning".

"There are too many questions to be answered, especially at a time when the reputation of the commission has been recently severely battered," the letter had stated.

"I urge you to reconsider this appointment so as to avoid the scandal that is sure to follow once this information is revealed to a highly sceptical population by an ever vigi­lant Opposition and ­media," the letter added.

Hosein to respond today

Lalchan is a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, member of the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, member of the International Society of Glaucoma Surgery and founder of the West Indian Society of Glaucoma Surgeons (WINGS).

She spent the majority of her medical career practising in the United Kingdom and returned to Trinidad, where she runs a private practice in Central.

She was also an associate lecturer in post-graduate ophthalmology with The University of the West Indies at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

Hosein has told the Express he will answer today the numerous questions that were put to him by the media yesterday.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150520 ... steps-down

[UML]

The delights of box drains

Published on May 19, 2015, 9:59 pm AST By \\\\\ Sue-Ann Wayow sue-ann.wayow@trinidadexpress.com


More about Moruga

The constituency of Moruga/Tableland has been labelled the "landslip constituency" by its Member of Parliament, Clifton De Coteau.

In 2010, United National Congress's (UNC) De Coteau won the seat with 11,628 votes. The People's National Movement's (PNM) candidate, Augustus Thomas, secured 8,681. It took the PNM three screening sessions and interviews of nine people before university lecturer Dr Lovell Francis was chosen to represent the constituency.

Moruga has an electorate of 27,649, with 35 polling divisions. In 2010, the number of registered voters was 26,450.

The constituency of Moruga is bordered by the constituencies of Siparia, Princes Town, Mayaro and Naparima.

In a poll commissioned by the Trinidad Express last November, Solution by Simulation (SBS), led by pollster Nigel Henry, found the Partnership had a clear lead over the PNM in Moruga/Tableland, considered one of the marginal constituencies.

WORKS COMPLETED SINCE 2010

This is a list of works completed in the last four years, compiled by the constituency office in Moruga. The office itself is a historic building, which was used to house the district medical officer. According to the information, 57 projects have been completed so far. Some of these include:

Education

. construction of Kanhai Presbyterian Primary School and New Grant Government Primary School

. construction of two early childhood care and education (ECCE) centres-North Trace ECCE and St Mary's ECCE

. under construction: Cunjal ECCE and La Ruffin ECCE.

Fishing

. La Ruffin Fishing Depot built

. to be constructed: the Grand Chemin Fishing Depot.

Sport

. pavilions constructed at Oropouche South Trace, Cumuto, and Strivers and Warwell Recreation Ground in Tableland

. to be constructed: La Lune, Platanite, Cunjal, Everglades Recreation Ground at Cumuto, and Mandingo Road Recreation Gound

Community Centres

. built: Hindustan and Marac Community Centres

. to be refurbished: Strange Village Community Centre in Cumuto and Cunjal Community Centre.

Lighting

. recreation grounds illuminated include Marac, La Lune, Penal Rock Road, Cunjal, Strivers, St Croix, Mandingo Road and Basseterre Recreation Grounds.

. still to be lit: Platanite, Everglades, Warwell and Oropouche South Trace Recreation Grounds.

However, housing continues to be the main problem for the people of Moruga, said Joseph Ali, political assistant to the Member of Parliament. He said citizens from not just Moruga visited the constituency office seeking Government homes.

THE Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) was launched nationally in Moruga in 2002 by former prime minister Patrick Manning, in the hope it would improve the lives of people in the area who had limited employment opportunities. Though rich in history, Moruga has never had prosperous businesses, compared with other areas, because of the lack of purchasing power by residents, who remained in the low and middle-income bracket after the fall of agriculture post-Independence. Whether the programme had the intended result is debatable. However, due to a decade of weed-whacking, Moruga is one of the most picturesque, landscaped areas of the country. Things have however begun changing in the communities near the south coast, with visible improvement in the fortunes of some people who consider the provision of lights, water, proper roads and box drains important. The Express spent some time in Moruga last week, in search of "the unprecedented development" the Government and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar have been boasting about. Chinese flocking to Moruga The businesswoman who operates Nankissoon Grocery and Hardware, in Taylor Trace Junction in St Mary's, summed up development in Moruga. "Before, water would sometimes go for about three weeks. Now, it is not as bad as before. There are many roads, lights, a lot of development has taken place. There are a lot of Chinese people who are coming into Moruga now and setting up shop. The land value is also going up as development is taking place." Declining to give her name, she said: "In over 45 years, the area has seen a lot more development in the past four years than in previous years. There is also development with education. Almost everybody here has a job here and there now. Educationally, we have really improved. There is a lot of training available in various areas so somebody is always doing a course. We have lots of different services and products being offered in Moruga now. A lot of the oil companies are also coming to Moruga to find out about business." Other constituents have also taken note of the change. Land value rises

Business owner Sylvester Layne, who owns a mini-mart in Rock Road, Moruga, and a roti shop in Taylor Trace Junction, acknowledged the infrastructural developments but said there was room for much more. Layne, who is originally from Princes Town, said he bought the property in Moruga some ten years ago when it went on sale. The value has increased greatly since. Rampersad Ramsamooj, 62, recalled the state of Douglas Road that connects to Barrackpore and Princes Town. He said: "I have lived here all my life. When I was born, this road was mud and then later on, some gravel was put on, but the road was first built when (former prime minister Basdeo) Panday was in power." Ramsamooj, a former labourer, said: "We have seen a lot of changes. We saw a lot of roads being built. There is lot of work being done on the outside. The roads are being built with box drains, which is very important for us because of the flooding issues." He said when rain fell, the road would become a temporary watercourse. But not anymore. Flood relief

Sita Doorgadeen, 60, lives at Hindustan Road. She has been living there for the past 28 years. She said when her husband first came to the area, he requested a list of the names of the people who needed water. The area had electricity, she said. When she bought her land, the land value was $18,000 per lot. Devon Seuradge, 29, who was living on State land near Hindustan Road, recently bought two and a half lots of land on Hindustan Road and paid $300,000. He said he fell in love with the "peace and quiet" of the area while courting his girlfriend of two years. The residents said they were grateful for the recent developments, including a play park near the Devil's Woodyard mud volcano. Premchand Ramdeo, 40 said he appreciated the repaving of the Rochard Douglas Road and proper drainage since his vegetable stall would have been flooded often. He said: "They did a nice piece of work, man." Ramdeo set up shop two years ago. He said since the drain was built last year, his stall has not flooded. "It used to be a like a sea here," said Joyce Dyer, 65. Dyer lives in Poui Trace. She also said her granddaughter's home, built on State land, would be flooded often. She was happy for the "late change" as the road was being repaved and box drains constructed. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150519 ... box-drains

MORUGA/TABLELAND......HOME!!!!!!





Ah tell yuh MC QUOTE MEH!!!!!!!

[eliteauto]

strangely SBS is accepted on this poll, lol

[Country_Bookie]

So anyone knows if Prez Carmoney proclaim the cunstitution amendment bill yet? If that is proclaimed, it's the end of the ILPee outside of Chag West.

[Numb3r4]

I would not be so quick to say that. I many cases however good the management is, many mass transit systems are subsidizes by the government.

Also given our track record with PTSC I have my doubts.

[Numb3r4]

That was in reply to what humbleservant said about the rapid rail.

[UML]

ENSURE YOUR ID CARD IS VALID

AND

CHECK YOUR EBC REGISTRATION (AND YOUR FAMILY) ONLINE TO ENSURE YOU CAN VOTE!!!!!


http://ebctt.com/registration.php

[UML]

this is the answer to the PNM "pie in the sky" rapid rail.

Cadiz: Rapid rail will not work

Published on Apr 16, 2015, 5:05 pm AST


\\\\\ Leah Sorias

leah.sorias@trinidadexpress.com

Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz has blown the final whistle on the possibility of a rapid rail system in Trinidad and Tobago, saying it will not work.

“Rapid rail is not the option for this country,” he said during the launch of the National CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) Initiative held at the Public Transport Service Corporation compound in Port of Spain yesterday.

“Rapid rail is a massive infrastructural project. Rapid rail means a major disruption in the East-West Corridor and from San Fernando to Port of Spain,” he explained.

“You’re talking about buying land, moving thousands of people from where they’re living to install this rapid rail. It is at a huge cost, it is the most expensive mode of transportation you could have. Trinidad and Tobago does not have the population or the money, I don’t care which international bank we go to, but that money is just not available and we could be doing a lot better things with that money,” he added.

Cadiz stressed that rapid rail systems have worked for other countries around the world because the population of those countries are more than triple Trinidad and Tobago’s.

“New York City has 11 million people who use rapid rail but Trinidad does not have the ridership. Furthermore is that fact that you’re not going to charge a full retail price on a ticket because if we have to charge the full retail price it might cost you $200 to go from Arima to Port of Spain with the rapid rail.”

Cadiz was of the view that what this country needs is an efficient bus rapid transit system powered by CNG.

“With a bus rapid transit system your recurrent expenditure is going to be a fraction of what a rail system will be.

“What it means is we already have the know-how to operate a bus system in Trinidad and Tobago and therefore there will be no new technology required to be able to operate and maintain a bus rapid transit system,” he said. Meanwhile, Cadiz assured that soon the public will see a reformed PTSC bus service which will including using CNG fuel in 90 per cent of buses.

"We can cut the operating cost of PTSC down by about $300 million a year by using CNG," he said. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/article/ ... /150419985

Cadiz: Buses to solve transport woes
Thursday, April 16 2015

Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz yesterday said the Rapid Rail System being advocated by the People’s National Movement (PNM) is not the solution to this country’s transportation problem.

He said the solution preferred and being supported by the People’s Partnership Government is a dedicated Bus Transport Route (BTR), a nationwide priority bus route. In an interview with Newsday following his address, Cadiz said such a system is running successfully in several cities in Latin America, as well as in California and Boston in the United States.

Cadiz delivered an address at the Port-of-Spain headquarters of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) at South Quay, to officially launch the National CNG (compressed natural gas) Initiative and to formally launch the 35 CNG buses recently bought by the government. Several Government ministers celebrated the event by joining hands to fuel a bus with CNG from a filling station built on the PTSC compound.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has said repeatedly if the PNM is returned to office in the forthcoming general election it would build the Rapid Rail System which was proposed by the previous Patrick Manning administration.

The plan to build the rapid rail is also included in Vision 2030, the PNM’s revised development plan for the country.

However, Cadiz said the answer to a mass transit system in this country is an efficient bus company with buses running on CNG. He said in 2007 the capital cost of the Rapid Rail System was $22 billion. “Can you imagine in 2015 if we went for rapid rail now what that is going to cost, that must be upwards of $30 billion. This country could never, never afford any project like that, especially where at the end of the day it is going to be a fully subsidised service,” he said.

He continued: “So you are going to be charging people the same $3 and $5 that you are charging now to travel on a bus? How much are you going to charge people to travel on the rapid rail? Are you going to subsidise tickets or are you going to charge them the full cost to recover that $30 billion that you are going to spend? And that is only the capital cost. The recurrent expenditure on rapid rail is going to run into billions of dollars a year. A far cry from what it is going to cost to run a Bus Rapid Transit System.”

He said Government is proposing the buses would run on dedicated bus lanes. “We will have to reorganise the Priority Bus Route, re-establish the Priority Bus Route as a preferred bus route and not for all and sundry.” He said this could be done in a very short time.

“What Trinidad and Tobago needs as a mass transit system is an efficient Bus Rapid Transit System running on the main corridors which would be Arima to Port-of-Spain; your East/West and then North/South running from Chaguanas into Port-of-Spain — that is going to solve the problem of the traffic congestion that we have here.”

He added that a Bus Rapid Transit System would be a fraction of the cost of the PNM- proposed rapid rail and the recurring expenditure would be a fraction of a rail system.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,209754.html

[hustla_ambition101]

Rapid bus.......how the fcuk is a bus going to go any faster when stuck in the same traffic......they getting flying buses?

[j.o.e]

Rapid bus.......how the fcuk is a bus going to go any faster when stuck in the same traffic......they getting flying buses?

This

[dougla_boy]

d fok i does be reading this early mc morning?


steupsssss.....yeah....@ member of the IC resigning coincidentally ....LOL

[desifemlove]

So.....is this essentially five more years?

Cos UNC/Kams gonna convince everybody dat PNM is liars?

[desifemlove]

VOTE FOR NICHOLAS MORRIS!!!

Youth TT Elections for the post of Youth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicholas ... 5437947723

Sap...

And naive.....

[UML]

London requests report on 'assault' by THA secretary

Published on May 20, 2015, 11:01 pm AST

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London confirmed yesterday he has requested a report from a THA Secretary allegedly involved in the assault of a man at the spa attached to Magdalena Resort, at Lowlands, Tobago.

Since the incident, a picture of those involved in the altercation has surfaced.

According to the police, the incident, which has been classified as a domestic dispute, occurred last week at the Magdalena spa, where there was a scuffle and the THA official is alleged to have assaulted the man.

A report was made at Old Grange Police Station last week Tuesday by the man.

Chief Secretary London, when asked by the Express for a comment on the matter, said: "I have requested a report from the Secretary and will comment further on receipt of the report."

The Secretary said to be involved, when asked to comment, said: "No fight ever occurred, that's the point. And it's a fabricated story, just that."

However, a video of the incident is currently in circulation.

-­Elizabeth Williams

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150520 ... -secretary

[Habit7]

Rapid bus.......how the fcuk is a bus going to go any faster when stuck in the same traffic......they getting flying buses?

It could work with either dedicated bus lanes or an elevated bus lane.

But we already have a dedicated bus lane (PBR) and we know how successful that is...
And with the expense of elevated bus lanes and the added infrastructure to support it, why not spend a little more and use trains?

For 5yrs the PP has done nothing major to alleviate our traffic problem which is a major drain on our economy, 5 years more would make no difference.

[desifemlove]

UNC has a point. A railway may have plenty compulsory purchase/relocations.

A busway can use the current PBR, or convert part of the EMR/side streets.

but then not all railways is the same, and a tram or light rail could work without disruption.



[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnpewuRupgE[/youtube]

is long....but i have the feeling this is what Cadiz on about.

[Numb3r4]

The only way to make the bus system work is to have dedicated lanes. If not then the bus system will be stuck in traffic like everyone else which makes no sense.

The best thing and probably the cheapest is to widen the highway and bus routes to accomodate the extra lanes, but given how businesses have developed along these routes this may be very difficult.

Another solution would be to try to move government services out of PoS to areas where they have the space and can provide proper parking, or more dedicated routes to the offices, or maybe they could restructure the system where by customers are handled elsewhere and only the procesing is done it PoS.

Also why not have a park and ride system or at least build more secured parking garages that would encourage the use of the bus system.

[Redman]

Why not:

Make the PBR one way 4 hrs in the am inbound and 4 hrs outbound
Provide capacity and schedule to make it competitive for E/W Corridor to use instead of personal transport.

This might ease the inbound from the East sufficiently to free up N/S commuters.

All we need is every one to start using it a minimum of 1 day a week.

See how that works -if it doesnt...try sumting else

[humbleservant]

UNC has a point. A railway may have plenty compulsory purchase/relocations.

A busway can use the current PBR, or convert part of the EMR/side streets.

but then not all railways is the same, and a tram or light rail could work without disruption.



[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnpewuRupgE[/youtube]

is long....but i have the feeling this is what Cadiz on about.

this look quite feasible for our country...

[hustla_ambition101]

Ultimately any dedicated lane for buses will require roads to be built or repurposed.......if repurposed then we will be back at square one

[Country_Bookie]

I think the PBR could serve its purpose if we look specifically where has bottlenecks on a morning; between UWI and Curepe junction, and from Aranguez to Morvant junction.
Maybe we can expand the bus route just in these areas where lots of maxis and buses need to stop to pick up and drop off ppl. Also if we could build flyovers at the Curepe, Croisee and Morvant intersections, traffic would flow more smoothly on both the PBR and Eastern main road.

[pete]

All this talk about buses etc. What do you hope will happen, that the traffic will be less or you can leave your car at home or even sell it?

[Numb3r4]

As pete said the problem is the fact that the population has grown and the infrastructure has not kept pace, as a result the situation requires many different solutions to solve it. We are looking for this one magic bullet (not the train) but I don't think it exists.

[bluefete]

Let me just leave this in here.

[humbleservant]

Let me just leave this in here.

I now hear kamla in a nursing home........ she get sick feelings with that one........

[Casper23]

She not sick..it's something known as a hangover, a very common occurrence from drinking and celebrating last nite when she was ''vindicated":roll: