Parliamentary Race Baiting

National Security Minister
Jack Warner

After a week spent neck deep in news, I don't generally bother with the local happenings much on a weekend. But, once I stumbled across this, I couldn't let it pass:

In defending Ramlogan, Warner charged that Rowley had signaled him out for "persecution" because of his ethnicity.

"It's because you have a problem with the individual," he said.

Warner questioned how come Rowley did not have "one" like him sitting on the PNM benches or going up for elections in the PNM convention which takes place today.

"They don't count. You are attacking the Attorney General because the AG represents the things you dislike," said Warner. 

B.S. in Communications

In the wake of the controversy over his ill-advised email to the Head of News for CCN, Communications Minister Jamal Mohammed has issued an apology:

Political Fatigue

National Security Minister
Jack Warner

Looks like Jack Warner really has bitten off more than he can chew...

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has instructed National Security Minister Jack Warner to get some rest.

Persad-Bissessar, speaking at a lavish fund-raising dinner by the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) on Sunday at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, said Warner had not slept in 48 hours and ordered that he not work on Monday.

"Jack Warner, you are grounded after you leave here tonight, you will go home tomorrow, I will ask other ministers to take up all your meetings, and Maureen Warner, ground him tomorrow, let him sleep because he hasn't slept in 24 to 48 hours," said Persad-Bissessar.

Sleep well Jack, because you've got lots of questions to answer when you get back.

This is not a fete

Lawrence Duprey

I imagine that the reason that Lawrence Duprey, former executive chairman of CL Financial (a company so poorly-managed and well-connected that its collapse nearly destabilized the national economy and has cost the taxpayers $21 billion) can boldly declare (in a 50 page witness statement, naturally) that he did nothing wrong while Auditor Chanka Seeterram freely admits that he cooked the HCU books to hide a $31 million loss is because this country has never prosecuted anyone for white collar crime.

Latest PP Misstep?

Communications Minister
Jamal Mohammed

Just in case you thought that the last line of my last post was a throwaway, here are the details, courtesy of TV6's Facebook page:

PP Government: Worst administration ever or evil geniuses?

So, the protests continued in East Port of Spain for the second day in a row today. For those keeping track, it was also the second day of the spectacular failure that is the People and Projects for Progress Programme - a venture that has succeeded only in being the most alliterative gimmick/make-work program that this Government has been able to come up with so far.

Few are surprised at this turn, as it would seem that one half of the population saw right through Jack Warner's attempt to buy peace in Laventille and the other half figured that it was just a matter of time before the savages flipped out again.

At the very least, most folks had to admit that Jack totally screwed up by getting involved in Laventille. He's in way over his head.

But ... What if - for a second - we give the People's Partnership Government more credit than they've ever shown the potential for deserving?

Corruption? What corruption?

"They talk of corruption in my Government and up to today they cannot give me one specific instance of corruption. They call names, they blame people, there's nothing I've seen evidence of and I promise you this—the day any evidence of corruption comes in my face I will deal with it.

"No minister will stand, no councillor will stand and no board member will stand. I've already demonstrated my commitment to transparency and accountability."

That's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, speaking at at THA election fundraiser.