TriniTuner.com | Latest Event:
Moderator: 3ne2nr Mods
zoom rader wrote:rfari wrote:Zr, u's rell failure dan
A failure where ?
a man posts a false and mis leading pnm spin as usual.
zoom rader wrote:^^^ thats a result of pnm ppl pulling skull
The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public-sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on different expert and business surveys. The 2008 CPI scores 180 countries (the same number as the 2007 CPI) on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly clean).
buh buh dais ole time ting from 2008....
The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories according to their perceived levels of public sector corruption. It is an aggregate indicator that combines different sources of information about corruption, making it possible to compare countries.
rfari wrote:zoom rader wrote:rfari wrote:Zr, u's rell failure dan
A failure where ?
a man posts a false and mis leading pnm spin as usual.
wha date was the article u quoted published? ent it useless to use a project schedule from two years ago on an ongoing project? wha kinna failure engineer u is jed? bring some updated figure at least nah. ogoar
zoom rader wrote:Habit7 wrote:not in 18mths
Do stop giving false and mis-leading PNM spin on Pt Fortin highway being incomplete.
Construction of Pt Fortin hospital begins March 2012
By —Ria TaittStory Created: Nov 27, 2011 at 2:07 AM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 27, 2011 at 2:07 AM ECT
Construction of the Point Fortin Hospital will begin in March 2012, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said Friday.
He was answering a question in the House of Representatives filed by Point Fortin MP Paula Gopee-Scoon.
He said there was an urgent need for this hospital because the San Fernando Hospital was overburdened. "It is unfortunate that the PNM Government did not see it fit to build the hospital in their eight years in office," he noted.
He said the estimated time for completion was 36 months—March 2015. In response to a question from Gopee-Scoon who asked whether the Government was still looking at the site earmarked for the Etech Park, Khan said Government may be looking at the same site, which was earmarked by the PNM Government for the hospital.
March 2015 is also the date given by Works Minister Jack Warner yesterday for the completion of the Point Fortin Highway, in response to another question from Gopee-Scoon.
Warner said the contract was awarded on July 4, 2011 and the completion date was March 27, 2015. He said 148 persons had been hired on the project to date. He said the Ministry of Finance had provided $1.5 billion from Treasury deposits in order to begin work on the project, pending NIDCO raising the sum required to complete the project. He said such fund would be subject to supervision by the Ministry of Finance. The sums would be raised as follows: $1.9 billion in the first year; $1.4 billion in the second year; $1.2 billion in the third year; $2.4 billion in the third year; $1.5 billion in the four-year making a total of $7.2 billion.
Gopee-Scoon told the Sunday Express that she was doubtful that the Point Fortin hospital would begin in March 2012.
"As it is there is no site and it has to start from scratch. That means new designs would have to be done," she said.
zoom rader wrote:This poll is flawed as express is not a credible media and is known for mis truths.
press freedom index
2007 #19
2008 #27
2009 #28
2010 #31
2011-2012 #51
2013 #44
Habit7 wrote:PNM fault we should vote them out!...what? we did that already?
So why isn't it completed?
UDeCOTT through Mr. Calder Hart adopted a confrontational attitude to those who have
taken issue with its methods and practices, particularly the lCC by its current President
Mr. Winston Riley. Mr. Calder Hart had a similar fraught relationship with Dr. Keith
Rowley, former Minister with responsibility for UDeCOTT, with whom he had particular
dealings in 2003 up to Dr. Rowley's removal from office in 2008. There were, from
these and other sources, numerous complaints about UDeCOTT's methods and practices
the most significant being:
(i) Excessive and unfair uses of sole selective tendering powers contrary to free and
fair competition and transparency.
(ii) Misuse or manipulation of tender and tender review procedures leading to the
inappropriate and potentially corrupt award of contracts.
12.24. It is with respect to procurement procedure, in relation to the C&E building, that Dr.
Rowley as the Line Minister sought to take issue with the matter in which
UDeCOTT had performed its role, and which led to UDeCOTT challenging the
Minister's power to intervene. That issue may involve a potentially complex at'ea of
law on which it would be inappropriate to offer comment here. But the reality is that,
if Ministers and their Permanent Secretaries take the view that they are empowered to
instruct UDeCOTT, they should ensure that UDeCOTT has a board which respects
that view. As has been seen in relation to the Housing Development Corporation, the
statute expressly empowers the Minister to give directions 123. To avoid any doubt, a
Minister should similat'ly be vested with a clear power to direct UDeCOTT. The
appropriate means of clarifying or creating such a power is a matter for others.
On the June 2003 Dr. Rowley wrote to Mr Calder Hart asking to be advised on
progress of the evaluation exercise and as to when the award would be expected.
Since the repOlis of April it appeared that Dr. Rowley had formed the view that
UDeCOTT was "vigorously attempting to violate its own published tender
requirements in an effort to make an award to HaJeez Karamath, a contractor which
did not meet several of the requirements set out by UDeCOTT itself in its Invitation to
Tender documents". Dr. Rowley said that he was given to understand that the
Evaluation Committee had prepared a report unfavourable to mZL and that attempts
were being made to by-pass the Evaluation Committee
Dr. Rowley accordingly
summoned Mr Calder Hart to a meeting at the Ministry of Planning and Development,
also attended by the Vice Chaitman, Dr. Balmdoorsingh and Victoria Mendes-
Charles, Pelmanent Secretary. Mrs Mendes-Charles had prepared a report at Dr
Rowley's request which Mr. Mair thought to be of very low quality.
Dr. Rowley said that he raised with UDeCOTT all the disturbing allegations that were
being levelled against it including allegations of wrong doing. Mr Calder Hmi's
version is that Dr. Rowley sitnply expressed general concems that any evaluation
process by UDeCOTT should be able to withstand a level of public scrutiny, a
position with which UDeCOTT had no disagreement. Dr. Rowley said that he raised
with Mr Calder Hart the fact that one member of the Board (Mr. Le Hunte) was a Senior Executive of the Bank which was owed substantial sums by HKL Group.
There was also an issue as to when the conversation between Dr Rowley and Mr
Calder Hali occurred, but they agree the meeting and conversation did take place.
At the conclnsion of the meeting Dr. Rowley escorted the party out. Both agreed that
at this point Mr. Calder Hart asked to spealc to the Minister privately and on doing so,
proposed that the Minister should meet Mr. Karamath. Dr. Rowley stated that he
considered this suggestion to be improper and refused. Mr Calder Hali agreed that
Dr. Rowley declined to meet Mr Kar8lllath but rejected any suggestion that the
meeting was for some conupt pmpose as being absmd. Mi' Calder &i pointed out
that Dr. Rowley showed hostility towards Mr. Karalnath, but had waited fom years
before malcing these accusations. Dr. Rowley agreed that he only disclosed the matter
in August 2007.
Mr Calder Hart's oral version of the events was that after the meeting with the
Board, when the Minister had given his opinion on the QES report and on allegations
he had been hearing, he requested to see Mr Calder Hart. At this (private) meeting Dr
Rowley stated that there were allegations of a corrupt relationship between Calder
Hart and Karmnath. Mr Calder Hart said that he demanded that the Minister phone
the person that he suspected the information had come from. The Minister
emphasised that he was not saying the information was true, but was concerned that
the accusations were being made. It was at this point, according to Mr Calder Hart,
that he snggested that the Minister shonld meet Mr Karmnath. Mr Calder Hmi
emphasised that this had nothing to do with the tender bnt with the allegation of
miscondnct against him. Snbseqnently in cross-exmnination by Mr. Peterson, Mr.
Calder Hart accepted that this version of events was not in his written statement and
was consequently suggested to be untrue.
Dr. Rowley then had an audience with the Prime Minister who was told that Dr.
Rowley intended to write a film letter to Mr. Calder Hart and that he proposed to spell
out the procedures to be followed. He noted that the Prime Minister appeared
nonchalant. Dr. Rowley connnented to the Prime Minister that he viewed Calder
Hart's resistance to his intervention and guidance as unacceptable and potentially
facilitating a corrupt award.
rfari wrote:^^ he pull dates for his own convenience. typical unc dishonesty
unc/pp sheep cyar talkpress freedom index
2007 #19
2008 #27
2009 #28
2010 #31
2011-2012 #51
2013 #44
source
http://en.rsf.org
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO-MEDIA: Is Freedom of Expression Under Threat?
By IPS Correspondents
PORT OF SPAIN, Jun 3 1997 (IPS) - Organisations representing journalists, television producers, public relations experts and advertising agencies have joined in calling on the government here to withdraw a controversial discussion paper on proposed changes in the laws affecting the operations of the media.
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT), which represents the nation’s journalists, has described the paper as being guided by principles that “threaten the freedom of expression and of the press.”
The paper, introduced a month ago by Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, proposes the introduction of a code of conduct for journalists which media practitioners here say is an attempt to “muzzle free expression.”
This has had regional journalists worried. President of the Caribbean Association of Media Workers (CAMWORK), Barbadian journalist Bertram Niles, says what happens in Trinidad and Tobago regarding the freedom of the press is important for the rest of the region.
“In some of these English-speaking Caribbean countries, intimidation is rife,” Niles says. “The media in most cases are not strong enough or varied or independent as in Trinidad and Tobago, so they look to you for leadership.
“We have a watchdog role that society has carved out for us — an important function as a guardian of democracy and a check on governmental abuse. Part of the debate in Trinidad and Tobago appears to be who is going to watch the watchdogs and who will check on media abuse which does occur,” says Niles.
He says there are already laws in the Caribbean which sometimes deal severely with abuses in the media. “I have a suspicion that the laws againt libel in the Caribbean are more invoked than laws against corruption in high plaees.
“Speaking as an outsider, it is inconceivable that any administration in Trinidad and Tobago whose democratic institutions have come under strain more often, certainly more intensely, than anywhereelse in the English-speaking Caribbean would attempt to muzzle the media,” Niles says.
But there are arguments that this is already the case. Former secretary-general of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Leo de Leon, cites existing broadcast licenses under which the country’s 12 broadcast organisations already operate.
He says those broadcast licenses contain most of the provisions of the government’s discussion paper.
Sunity Maharaj, former MATT President agrees. She says she had once campaigned in support of broadcast media proprietors challenging the provisions of such license provisions as being in contravention of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of free expression and freedom of the press.
De Leon says under the licenses, any government can take control of a broadcast medium under the pretext of “protecting the national interest.”
MATT president Natalie Williams, herself a television reporter, says as a result of the pitch of the campaign in support of the government’s discussion paper, journalists are increasingly being targeted by members of the public.
She referred to recent instances in which reporters and camera personnel had been physically attacked saying the message being sent by government advocates of the paper is that the media are guilty of not acting in the best interest of some sections of the national community.
The attorney general said recently that the media were against a recent counter-narcotics agreement with the United States government because they apparently had an interest in seeing drugs enter the country. He also accused the media of opposing new attempts at strengthening censorship laws because they wanted to encourage the viewing of sex and violence on television.
Media managers have been outraged at the statements by Maharaj which have been followed up by similar attacks by prime minister Basdeo Panday including a reference to media magnate Ken Gordon who, he said, had opposed the discussion paper because he wanted to protect his “monopolistic control” of the media and was a “pseudo- racist”.
Gordon is chief executive officer of the Caribbean Communications Network which runs a daily newspaper and a television station.
Gordon says he will be suing the prime minister over his remarks and he has resigned as chairman of the national airline, BWIA, on whose board he served as a government appointee.
The declaration, adopted by MATT, the country’s Public Relations Association, Advertising Agencies Association and its Teleproductions Association says the groups are in “total rejection” of the paper “on the grounds of its inconsistencies with the principles of free expression and a free press as guaranteed in Section 4 of the Constitution.”
“We affirm our commitment to ensure the continued existence of such rights in law and in spirit, the declaration says. “We do so through our support for measures that seek to maintain and strengthen such rights through our opposition to any deed or intent which has the potential to place these rights in jeopardy.”
The declaration contends that the discussion paper is “fundamentally flawed” in the manner in which it approaches a number of issues including the media’s relationship with government and its “pronouncements on current standards in the media.”
“We recognise our role in maintaining high quality outputs through self-administered professional standards and sensitivity to feedback from the public we serve,” the declaration says. It adds that the groups believe that “any legislative or other coerciee application of the principles espoused in the Green Paper will constitute a grave threat to freedom of expression and of the press.”
A code of ethics proposed by the paper says: “journalists and newspapers shall endeavour to highlight and promote activities of the state and the public which aim at national unity and solidarity, integrity of Trinidad and Tobago, and economic and social progress.” The “national unity” theme is the political slogan of the ruling United National Congress (UNC).
The code also prohibits “sensational or tendentious reports of (a) speculative nature.” A claim in the paper that the code of ethics had been adapted from the existing code of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has been described as a “fraud” by veteran Trinidad and Tobago journalist George John who has worked in Jamaica and is a member of the PAJ.
The paper also proposes the establishment of a new law against “incitement to racial violence.” Law school tutor, formr magistrate Dana Seetahal told a symposium to discuss the paper held on Monday that she was “worried” about the suggestion and that she thought it was “unnecessary” in a society such as Trinidad and Tobago.
MATT has also sounded its intention to take other action to ensure that the discussion paper does not reach the stage of draft legislation. In any event, according to Sunity Maharaj, the changes will, in many instances require a special majority in the country’s parliament which, she predicts, will not be forthcoming.
rfari wrote:eh zr. it raining in deep south. go and see if ur goat getting wet or something under d tree nuh.
zoom rader wrote:rfari wrote:eh zr. it raining in deep south. go and see if ur goat getting wet or something under d tree nuh.
Sorry dude I far up north plus ant no farm animals in San do east. This pnm area, the getto of south since 1956.
Pnm never lost an election here, progress here mamoo.
zoom rader wrote:rfari wrote:eh zr. it raining in deep south. go and see if ur goat getting wet or something under d tree nuh.
Sorry dude I far up north plus ant no farm animals in San do east. This pnm area, the getto of south since 1956.
Pnm never lost an election here, progress here mamoo.
he somehow manages to perfectly tailor his responses 
pioneer wrote:Declare Manning seat vacant an pump in sando
SWEARING-IN Confusion
Chaguanas local govt election stalemate continues
By Ria Taitt Political Editor
Story Created: Oct 29, 2013 at 10:07 PM ECT
Story Updated: Oct 29, 2013 at 11:04 PM ECT
The new system of local government, triggered by the introduction of proportional representation, is creating some confusion.
This is because the deadlines and time-frames for getting corporations up and running, which were set out in the previous Municipal Corporations Act, have been removed.
This situation, coupled with the deadlock in Chaguanas, led to the postponement of the swearing-in ceremony for councillors for the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, which was originally scheduled for Friday.
The ceremony has been temporarily called off as the Ministry of Local Government seeks legal advice on the deadlock in that corporation.
There is no time frame for the first meeting of the councils under the new municipal corporation law. The law simply requires that the business at that first meeting includes the taking of the oath of office of the councillors.
There is also no time frame under the new law for the declaration of the aldermen by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). The law simply says that such persons take the oath after the declaration is made.
PNM general secretary Ashton Ford told the Express yesterday that on Monday, the party’s representatives had received invitations for a Friday swearing-in ceremony. But, he said, the party was informed yesterday this was to be rescheduled and an apology given for the postponement.
Previous Chaguanas mayor Orlando Nagessar confirmed that the CEO of the Chaguanas Corporation had “temporarily” set aside Friday for the swearing-in of the eight councillors.
“But they are awaiting word from the Ministry of Local Government. I believe they (the Ministry) have sought legal advice on how to handle the situation. So they are waiting on that. Furthermore, they have not yet received results from the EBC (for the list of aldermen). Up to this afternoon (at 3 p.m.) the CEO told me that the results from the EBC have not been received.”
He said, hopefully, there would be results today and there would therefore be some idea of when the councillors would be sworn in, as well as when the Council could meet to elect a mayor and a deputy mayor.
The Chaguanas Corporation is spit between the PNM, UNC and ILP, with each party having four members on the Corporation once it is fully constituted.
Legal sources have explained that if no mayor is elected, the current mayor (Nagessar) stays in office until the deadlock is broken.
Nagessar laughed when told that after saying goodbye to the Corporation, he may be there for the “long haul”.
“That is in the act.”
He said he hoped there is a solution (to the impasse) so that the new corporation can continue the work of the last corporation.
It is understood that the Ministry of Local Government is seeking advice from senior counsel Dana Seetahal on the options for dealing with the deadlock in Chaguanas.
Seetahal, when contacted by the Express, said she could not provide any information.
“It would be for the client to disclose anything. I could not possibly disclose anything like that,” she said.
Commenting on the matter, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said he did not know what they are doing down in Chaguanas.
Responding to the legal position that the current mayor of Chaguanas (Nagessar) would stay in office until a new mayor is elected, Rowley said: “This development is the Government trying to run the corporation in a permanent deadlock arrangement.”
He said the Government is expecting deadlock because Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar came out early before realising that the ILP would get two aldermen (and tie with the UNC and PNM) and committed her party to not negotiating with ILP leader Jack Warner.
Rowley cited statements by Persad-Bissessar that she would not negotiate with any party that supports criminals.
“The UNC is in a monkey pants—either vote for itself and create deadlock or vote for the PNM.”
On Warner’s call for a return to the polls for the electoral districts comprising the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, Rowley said there is no provision for dissolving a local government corporation. There is only provision for the chamber expiring.
There are swearing-in ceremonies for the councillors in Diego Martin and San Fernando today.
The councillors in the Arima Corporation would be sworn in on Friday, Sangre Grande tomorrow, while Point Fortin Corporation was installed last week. And there is no word on when the other corporations would be inducted.
Rowley said under the old municipal corporation act, within ten days after the election, a meeting of the new council is convened and, at that meeting, the councillors take the oath and then proceed to elect the aldermen.
It was a straightforward process with one ceremony, Rowley stated. The mayor and deputy mayors, chairmen and deputy chairmen were elected three days after this meeting.
However, the new act says on the election of the councillors, the EBC shall allocate the number of aldermen for each party on each corporation and then inform the political party of this allocation. This must be done within four days after the election.
The parties then have four days after being informed by the EBC, to notify the EBC which persons from the parties’ list submitted on Nomination Day have been selected as aldermen. The deadline for this process was yesterday.
When the EBC receives this information, the Commission then declares these persons to be aldermen and that declaration constitutes their appointment. But there is no deadline for when this declaration must be made.
But there is nothing to prevent corporations from swearing-in councillors, before the aldermen are allocated and declared by the EBC. But they would have to await the EBC declaration for the swearing-in of aldermen.
“So tomorrow, Diego Martin is swearing-in their councillors, but there is nothing in hand saying the aldermen are available because the aldermen are coming from the EBC. And until the aldermen and councillors are added together, you can’t elect a chairman of the corporation. So the swearing in ceremony is simply the swearing in of councillors as proof of having been elected. But that does not complete the council. You have to wait now for the EBC to complete the process by giving you the aldermen,” Rowley stated.
When the EBC confirms the names of the aldermen, then the second function, at which aldermen are inducted and mayors/chairmen elected, must be held.
While there is no time frame for the swearing in of councillors and aldermen, there is a time frame for the election of the mayor and deputy mayors.
Media houses warned about running suspicious political ads
Story Created: Oct 29, 2013 at 10:06 PM ECT
Story Updated: Oct 29, 2013 at 11:04 PM ECT
President of the Advertising Agencies Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Ronald Murray, yesterday issued a precaution to all members with respect to political advertising.
The letter noted that a paid political announcement ran on TV6 yesterday morning, which purported to be a letter from “Keith” thanking the Independent Liberal Party for splitting the votes.
It also noted the same full page ad ran in the Guardian newspapers, but this time was signed (not by Keith) but by “the Raging Bull”, without identifying the advertiser.
“It would be appreciated if immediate steps are taken, by the relevant media houses, to desist from airing these advertisements until such time as they correctly conform to the Bureau of Standards provisions.
“It will also be appreciated if the AAATT could be advised of the source agency providing the material and that the agencies and media houses exercise greater diligence towards ensuring that materials are vetted before accepting to air,” Murray stated.
The letter was sent to the members of the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters and members of the AAATT.
acesinghit wrote:under PNM rule I purchased my first car and it appears under PP rule I might lose it..
Return to “Ole talk and more Ole talk”
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 130 guests
