Debate in the House of Representatives turned bitter over the subject of Caroni (1975) Limited in the late hours of Friday night as Government and Opposition traded barbs and accusations.
Even Prime Minister Patrick Manning was unable to set the chamber into a dignified mood as his contribution was repeatedly interrupted by Opposition jibes of “Schoolmaster Manning!” and “Sit down, you take too long to say anything!”. Following the Opposition’s diversion from the Rent Restriction Act to debate Caroni, Manning claimed the sugar industry had for decades had its future in question, saying: “Everybody acknowledged that something had to be done”.
In justification, he said the country was now set for great economic expansion and that new opportunities were becoming available. “Some of the sugar workers of today will become cane farmers of tomorrow”. Responding to taunts by Opposition MP for Couva South Kelvin Ramnath for him to bring a documented plan for Caroni to Parliament for debate, Manning said: “There are provisions in Parliament for a private members motions, yet they walked out on private member day”. The bitter clashes continued when Opposition MP for St Augustine Winston Dookeran arose. He slammed: “The Government is announcing things and then say they will consult after…A wide cross section of the population is questioning the credibility of the Government’s policy formulation”. Calling for the Government to lay out its plan for Caroni and its national economic projections, Dookeran said that within the space of one week the Government had offered two different plans for VSEPP. “Could you guarantee you would be able to re-absorb Caroni workers into agriculture?…Short term gains can have long term social costs… Even if workers agree to go because you are holding a big stick over their heads, you are leaving them with a bitter taste for a long time after. ..You can build a big Parliament (new building) but you will not have left a tradition of true democracy”.
Getting personal, the normally-mild Dookeran accused the PNM Government of having made sure he no longer stayed as Governor of the Central Bank. Hitting back Minister of Trade and Industry Ken Valley challenged Dookeran’s claim of ignorance over the Government’s plans for Caroni saying that as a Governor of the Central bank, he should have been better informed. Valley announced that to restructure Caroni (1975) Limited, the Government would form a new company. Valley said: “We will have a new company and accept who we want to. It’s a phased reduction…You say we will retrench 10,000 workers, but 75 percent of them will be back”. Rising, Opposition MP for Couva South Kelvin Ramnath said: “We are hearing for the first time that Caroni is to be closed down and a new company formed. Before it was a denial Caroni will be closed down. We are hearing every employee of Caroni is to be retrenched, something the Minister of Agriculture has been denying all along. Why haven’t you been openly stating your plan and hold a debate on the matter”. Ramnath warned the Government must try to understand the impact that the closure of Caroni would have on race relations in the country.
Alluding to racial discrimination, Ramnath said: “I can’t believe that two weeks after I am retrenched from Caroni that I will have the opportunity to be re-employed with the new company”. Ramnath said he was not afraid of the Prime Minister bringing the military to Caroni to frighten people.
The little boy at the centre of a bitter custody battle between his parents and a female relative has indicated his desire to stay with the relative who has cared for him from infancy.
Sitting in the front porch of his Gasparillo home yesterday, nine-year-old Shawn Supersad said his aunt, Monica Hamilton, 52, was more like a mother than an aunt to him. “I prefer to stay with my aunt,” he said, adding Hamilton made sure he was well taken care of from the “minute I wake up, to the time I go to sleep.” “Aunty is the best,” he said, adding, “I know she loves me because she does see about me first before anybody else.” But, the Standard three student at the Gasparillo Government Primary School seemed oblivious to the controversy surrounding the custody battle, saying he was also on good terms with his parents, Sherry Ann and Deoraj Supersad. “Whenever they visit me I talk to them,” he said, adding he was also on good terms with his older brother, Vishnu, who also attended the same school.
However, Shawn said when asked by the court which relative he preferred to be with, he had answered “Aunty.” “When the judge asked me who I wanted to stay with, I told him Aunty,” he said, with a broad smile. Monica Hamilton said it was never her intention for custody of her niece’s son to reach the courts, saying all she wanted was the best for the little boy. “I just want peace in my family,” she said, adding Shawn’s parents were “always welcome to visit” their son. However, Sherry Ann Supersad disputed Hamilton’s claim, saying joint custody had been awarded to both parents by the court. “We can see Shawn whenever we want,” she said, adding Hamilton wanted sole custody of her youngest child. “She wanted full custody but the judge did not give her full custody,” she said.
Supersad indicated her intention to visit her lawyer, Indrani Persad, on Monday, to discuss the ruling and what steps were available to the family. “I intend to tell my side of the story after I talk to my lawyer,” she concluded.
Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that the Opposition will abstain and not support the government which requires a special majority in Parliament to pass the Kidnapping Bill 2003 which penalises anyone involved in negotiating kidnap ransoms with up to 25 years imprisonment.
She was speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday evening during debate on the Rent Restriction Bill. This stance was taken, she said, in reply to Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s recent comment on the Opposition walkout from the House that the Opposition was irrelevant to Parliament. Persad-Bissessar stormed: “He will have to eat his words…We cannot sit here as responsible MPs and co-operate with a government that considers the whole of South and Central Trinidad to be irrelevant…We will abstain on this bill”. Turning to Minister of Agriculture John Rahael who was chased from a meeting in Couva the day before, she warned him: “If he got the ‘smoke’ yesterday, the ‘fire’ is coming”.
Noting that not a single bill on the parliamentary order paper could be passed without the support of the Opposition, she vowed there would be no co-operation with the government until it addressed the workers of Caroni (1975) Limited who were threatened with redundancy. She criticised the government for debating the Rent Restriction Act, a matter dating from 1933, while ignoring the more pressing issues of Caroni (1975) Limited and the government’s proposal to relocate Parliament from the Red House. This was a theme taken up by her colleague Princes Town MP Subhas Panday who declared of the Rent Bill: “There is nobody who could benefit from the act before Parliament today”. Panday said previous PNM governments over time had successively eroded the number of dwelling houses which the act would encompass. He added, the act took away the rights of someone who may have inherited a small old house, to try to make a living from renting it out.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS Minister, Senator Knowlson Gift, yesterday urged world leaders to build upon the foundations laid by President Arthur NR Robinson in establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). Speaking at the launch of a series of commemorative stamps at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to honour Robinson and the ICC’s establishment, the Minister also criticised the United States, Russia and China for not ratifying the July 1998 Rome Statute which gave birth to the Court.
Gift told the gathering that “to date, 89 countries out of a signatory membership of 139 countries have ratified the statute”. “Perhaps it is not unexpected that with such a monumental achievement, there would be some dissonance. The non-ratification of the statute by three of the world’s largest and powerful states- US, Russia and China- serves to show that the work is not yet over. Efforts must now continue to bring all on board. The seed of global justice has only now been sown,” he said. Reflecting upon the President’s role in the creation of the ICC, Gift stated that Robinson’s drive to establish the Court represented the most “serious step to global justice since World War Two”.
The Minister also hailed the appointment of Trinidad and Tobago Law Association president Karl Hudson-Phillips as an ICC judge. Public Utilities and Environment Minister, Senator Rennie Dumas, said the launch of the stamps celebrated both the ICC and the “man who has played a significant role in the ICC’s establishment. Both Ministers agreed that the President and Hudson-Phillips’ achievements show that “Trinidad and Tobago stands ready to rise to even greater heights. Among the assembled dignitaries present were First Lady Patricia Robinson, Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal, Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown and US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Roy Austin.
THE Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (TIDCO) has launched a Visitor Satisfaction Survey which will be conducted at peak tourist arrival times during the year.
In a statement yesterday, TIDCO announced that the first phase of the survey was launched just before Carnival and was placed at Piarco International Airport, the Customs and Immigration Office at Chaguaramas, selected hotels, guest hotels and restaurants nationwide. TIDCO said given the resources allocated by Government in the Three Year Rolling Plan for Tourism Development, it was essential that this type of research and investigation regarding visitor satisfaction be conducted. The results of the survey will be used to positively and effectively influence visitor satisfaction through development and improvement of a differentiated tourism product as well as inform marketing initiatives to promote Trinidad and Tobago. The survey was spearheaded by Sharifa Ali-Abdullah of TIDCO’s new Economic Intelligence Unit.
Just a day after saying the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Courts could be relocated to Trinidad House, Prime Minister Patrick Manning moderated the stance he had taken at Thursday’s post Cabinet media conference at Whitehall.
Speaking in The House of Representatives on Friday evening Manning clarified: “That is a proposal”. He explained that his initial declaration for Trinidad House had been made when pressed with a question from a reporter. He said: “What position could a prime minister take, either to answer the question or not answer? If I had not answered I would be accused of arrogance, improper planning or running a Government not knowing what it is doing…”. He clarified that Trinidad House was just one possible alternative site for the law courts. “This is a proposal of the Government which we propose to discuss…”. “After the fact!” interjected a UNC MP. Princess Town MP Subhas Panday shouted: “It’s a red herring to cover the Caroni issue!”. Manning continued: “If for any reason Trinidad House is not appropriate, we can find somewhere else. The Government has a view, a proposal, we put on the table for all to discuss. If it’s not viable something else will be done”. At that, a UNC MP shouted: “You are backing out now!”.
‘Say Yes To Children, No To Child Labour’ was the theme of the walkathon held by the Grant Memorial Presbyterian Primary School yesterday through the city of San Fernando.
The event was intended to speak out against child labour, an ill but common practice around the world. Teachers, parents, students and past students took part in the event. The school’s principal Lennox Sirjusingh speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday said the event was endorsed by the Prime Minister, TTUTA, Social Services Minister Christine Kangaloo, the Ministry of Sport and OWTU. In attendance were Lester Baldwin, Regional Co-ordinator for Child Labour Projects of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Roma Wong Sang, Information Officer of the ILO. Cascadia contributed $3,000 in banners and T-shirts for the event. Flavorite also gave a lolly and balloon to each child at the end of the event.
The school’s steelband performed before and after the walkathon and there were also dances. During the walkathon which got on the way at around 10 am participants gave the symbolic ‘red card to child labour’ at various intervals. The march took them from the school on Carib Street to Coffee Street, Cipero Street, Sutton Street, Independence Avenue, up High Street then back to the school’s compound. Sirjusingh said that it was also aimed at teaching the children to speak out against injustice. He further said that the problem was a worldwide one as shown in the international media.
POLICE Commission-er Hilton Guy has instructed senior officers of the Central Division to investigate a report that the Cunupia home of Pastor Vishnu Latch-mansingh was searched on Friday for firearms and ammunition.
The search, deemed illegal by the police, was reportedly carried out at Latchmansingh’s home at Las Lomas #1, Chin Chin Road. No search warrant was presented. Senior officers told Sunday Newsday that no one from the Central Division was given instructions to search the Pastor’s home. It is believed that the officers, who were clad in police garb, came from the Port-of-Spain Division. Up to late yesterday, however, police said no one had come forward to claim responsibility for the illegal search at Latchmansingh’s home. According to reports around 12.30 pm Fri-day, a police vehicle and two unmarked vehicles pulled up at the Pastor’s home, while he was cutting some palm trees. The police officers reportedly barged in and told Latchman-singh that they were there to search his home for illegal firearms and ammunition.
Police sources said Latchmansingh left what he was doing and walked the officers through his home. Nothing was found and the officers left the Pastor’s home. Sometime after, police said Latchman-singh contacted the Police Commissioner, who then contacted senior officers of the Central Division. A police source told Sunday Newsday yesterday that Guy was very upset about the search and police were wondering if it was bonafide police officers who carried out the search. Officers visited the Pastor’s home yesterday. Latchmansingh re-portedly told police that he does not know who the officers were. He is the Pastor at the Faith Sanctuary Family Ministries, Union Road, Marabella, and at Church Street, Las Lomas #1, Chin Chin Road, Cunupia. The Pastor does a weekly Sunday religious programme on Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT). Latchmansingh is reported to have inherited a large amount of money. Snr Supt Philip Carmona, head of the Central Division is heading the investigations, which also includes acting Insp Hubert Kirk. The Pastor was unavailable for comment.
THE revolver and ammunition found in a food box at the Arima Police Station Friday afternoon may have been brought in on Thursday night when a number of people were arrested, police sources told Sunday Newsday yesterday.
In fact, one senior officer told Sunday Newsday that it was “total slackness” on the part of the police. The officer said the prisoners weren’t checked properly. “How could you take a parcel without checking it?” the senior officer asked, also wanting to know what was the real purpose behind the whole scenario. The senior officer also refuted claims that the .38 revolver and two rounds of ammunition were found at the Arima First Magistrate’s Court, which has no holding bay cells. Sunday Newsday was reliably informed that a police officer attached to the Arima Police Station heard a noise, and on checking, the officer saw a food box in the station cell.
When the food box was opened, police said the revolver and ammunition were found. There were prisoners in the cell at the time, but police said none of the prisoners on hand claimed responsibility for the weapon. However, police sources said they have their suspicions on how the weapon and ammunition got there, but they had no substantial evidence. Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Trevor Paul told Sunday Newsday that the matter will be “thoroughly investigated”. Northern Division police said the description of the .38 revolver will be taken to Modus Operandi, a department at the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID), to be checked with information on their computer system to determine if it was used in previous crimes. Results are expected early next week. Police sources also said that the investigations will be indepth since the enquiry is a serious one. Special Branch police have been called in to assist the Arima police with the revolver and ammunition find.
Effective immediately, the United States Embassy has changed its immigrant VISA applicant procedures.
Applicants will be required to provide certain information, including local and foreign contact information, at the time of scheduling their VISA appointment through TeleScotia. New VISA application forms are now available. These forms are intended to make the process faster and more convenient, a release stated. There are also new photo requirements. The photo can be colour or black and white but must have been taken within the last six months of the interview. It must be two inches square with the applicant’s head and face centred in the photo, and the head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin should be 25-35mm. The background must be white or off-white with no borders. No hair or facial covering which affects the ability to view facial features will be permitted. Applicants are also asked to note that no advantage is gained by early arrival for Visa appointments, no applicants are admitted more than 30 minutes prior to their appointment and will be admitted up to 30 minutes after the scheduled time.
