Warner says he's not forming any new party, praises Ramesh

Jack Warner has assured supporters that he is not planning to form a new political party. And he has rejected the arguments made by some of them that he is putting his political future at risk by hanging on to the United National Congress (UNC).

The Chaguanas West MP is one of three deputy leaders of the UNC and is locked in a bitter struggle with the leadership and national executive of the party. He stands accused of bringing the party into disrepute with his campaign to demand change and prepare the party to face the challenges of the 21 century. Warner has stated publicly that unless the UNC embraces change it risks becoming irrelevant.

In confidential correspondence with key supporters Warner said the question that one must address is the opinion of the members of the party.

"Have they had the opportunity to reject this call for change and from the ground up determine its future whether it be the rejection of the Platform for Change or the expulsion of the current UNC-A leadership?" he asked.

He said there's no point in abandoning a good UNC-A cause without first affording the members the opportunity "to re-birth the party in accordance with the solid values upon which it was built". He said to do that is nothing more than a fatalistic approach and an acceptance that the party belongs to UNC leader Basdeo Panday.

"The Platform for Change rejects such a notion and until the people speak one way or the other, it is critical...that we provide solutions for a better party within or an alternative measure without," he explained.

"At this juncture, the people have not spoken. The Platform for Change is gaining momentum and should be given every opportunity to succeed."

Commenting on the need for a third party Warner quoted U.S. President Barack Obama who stated: “I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership; and when we get lazy..(and) start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics.”

He said the role of his Platform for Change is to get people to pay attention "to the politics around us" and the only way forward "is to find a path that will make the national community pay attention". He said he is confident that this has already started to happen.

Warner said, "Once people begin to appreciate the power of their vote... (and) begin to recognize that the real power within a democracy is not the leadership but the followership... that they are masters and not the slaves and begin to give direction rather than follow orders there will not be the need to further fragment the society."

"Our role," he said, "is to educate the people and gently guide them along the right path."

He said he does not "honestly" know if he will be the leader. However he said, what he does know is that he won't walk away without giving the people an opportunity to change.

Warner also addressed criticism of his chief ally in the campaign for change, Tabaquite MP and former Attorney General, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.

Some people have described him as a liability, citing his past run-in with the UNC and his ill-fated alliance with Patrick Manning that led to the fall of the Panday government within a year of winning a majority in the 2000 general election.

Maharaj's Team Unity fought against the UNC in the 2001 election and helped push the result to an 18-18 tie, which in turn created an opportunity for President Arthur N.R. Robinson to fire Panday and appoint Patrick Manning as prime minister.

"I have heard many unfortunate comments about my friend Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and while I must confess that he is a victim of campaigns which from time to time have affected his political currency, I have to admit that there are few who are wiser, more loyal and erudite than Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj," Warner said.

"Ramesh has been accused of disloyalty to many but it is the type of disloyalty that I admire. It is certainly alright to be disloyal when it cuts against the grain of one’s morals and values.

"It is perfectly acceptable to be disloyal especially when corruption among friends seems to be the order of the day."

He added, "I want a friend to be disloyal to me when my behaviour reeks of arrogance and despotism because it is that type of loyalty that might sober me and bring me on even keel."

He said he would never question "Ramesh’s contribution to the social development in Trinidad and Tobago. I will not question the importance of his role in guaranteeing a more juridically prudent society in which we now live."

Honduras AG threatens to arrest deposed president as Zelaya plans to return home

A showdown is building in Honduras between the authorities who deposed President Manuel Zelaya and the president who is planning to return home and serve the remaining five months of his presidency.

The army moved against Zelaya Sunday as Hondurans prepared to vote in a referendum that would have removed presidential term limits and allowed Zelaya to run for office indefinitely.

It's the kind of change that his close ally, President Hugo Chavez, has made in Venezuela. The referendum was unpopular and Zelaya had little support among members of Congress.

The country's Supreme Court and the attorney general had declared the vote illegal, but Zelaya ignored them and proceeded with the referendum. On Sunday, troops arrested him and sent him in exile in Costa Rica.

The regional and international reaction was swift. Chavez put Venezuelan troops on alert and other regional leaders condemned the coup as illegal, demanding Zelaya's reinstatement.

In Trinidad, Prime Minister Patrick Manning in his capacity as Chairman of the Fifth Summit of the Americas called for the "immediate restitution of the constitutionally-elected Government of President Zelaya."

Manning said "in keeping with the Inter American Democratic Charter, the situation in Honduras today clearly affects the development of that country's democratic political institutional process and the legitimate exercise of power."

Read the story: T&T condemns Honduran coup

But the strongest voice in support of the Honduran leftist leader came from Washington. The United States emphatically stated that Zelaya is the only person it recognizes as the constitutional head of the Honduran government.

The U.S. restated that position Tuesday as Zelaya spoke at the United Nations, telling the General Assembly that he plans to return as president as early as Thursday to serve the remainder of his term. He also pledged not to run for office ever again.

The U.S. State Department made it clear that Washington sees no acceptable solution other than Zelaya's return to power. And a spokesman threatened to cut off aid to Honduras.

The General Assembly also passed a resolution by consensus recognizing Zelaya as the only constitutional head of Honduras.

The deposed leader plans to return to Honduras, escorted by the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador and the UN General Assembly, as well as the head of the OAS.

But in Honduras Attorney General Luis Alberto Rubi said Zelaya would be arrested "as soon as he sets foot on Honduran soil", adding that he faces at least 20 years in prison for treason, abuse of authority and other charges.

"We have already issued an international arrest warrant to capture the former president anywhere in the world," he said.

And foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, threw a wild card onto the table, telling CNN's Spanish service that Zelaya had been letting drug traffickers ship U.S.-bound cocaine from Venezuela through Honduras.

Ortez said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was aware of Zelaya's ties to organized crime.

Sri Lanka's war ends: peace is yet to come

"The defeat of the organized armed resistance of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam has brought to an end the bloody Sri Lankan civil war that began in 1983. However, it has not resolved the position of the Ceylon Tamil minority in Sri Lankan society.

"And it has done nothing to ease the pressure by expatriate Tamils on the Government of Canada - or non-government representative like Bob Rae - to intervene on behalf of their ethnic kin."

Read the this first issue of Canada-Asia Agenda produced by the Vancouver-based Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

The article is by Bruce Matthews, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion at Acadia University, Nova Scotia.

Jamaica to hang convicted killers: PM Golding

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding told a town hall meeting in Kingston his government will honour the “yes” vote taken by Parliament last year on capital punishment and hang convicted killers.

“Once Parliament has taken that position, this government has given a commitment that we are going to honour it. We are obliged by the resolution of Parliament,” he said.

"You have an undertaking from me, as head of this government, that once those processes are exhausted, then the appropriate warrants will be issued. We are not backing off of that position that we have taken,” Golding said in reference to nine convicted persons whose appeals are pending.

He noted that the biggest weapon against crime is the certainty of being caught and being punished, and he urged the public to provide the police with information to resolve the crimes.

“If a man feels that he can commit murder and the chances of him being arrested are three out ten, and even after he is arrested, the chances of anybody coming as a witness to testify against him are two out of ten, and if they even testify, the chances of him being convicted is one of out ten, then he is not even going to squint, he is going to commit the crime,” the Prime Minister said.

“We have to get to the stage where with the partnership that must come from the people, when a man is considering doing something that he knows is against the law, something that he knows will attract severe punishment, he must be given cause to think that once, not twice, not thrice but several times; because in committing that crime, he must factor into his mind an acceptance of the punishment that he must feel is going to be served on him,” he added.

The Jamaican House of Representatives voted last November to retain hanging; the Senate voted similarly a month later. However, no one has been executed in Jamaica since 1988.

Last year more than 1,000 persons were murdered and the figure has passed 600 so far this year.

Suspects in Camille Daniel's murder go to court

Two young men appear in court Tuesday on charges of murder in the brazen killing of a woman at the West End police station in Diego Martin, Trinidad last week.

Camille Daniel, 39, was shot dead while attempting to drive her car into the West End Police Station, hoping to escape from armed robbers trying to steal her car.

The attackers fled the scene, leaving the murdered woman and her terrified friend in the wrecked vehicle.

Police caught the men later. Daniel's friend and a police officer who saw them running away from the car positively identified the suspects.

Read the story: Murder in police station...

The suspects, aged 17 and 21, will also face charges of kidnapping Daniel and her friend, as well as robbing the two women. The 17-year-old suspect alone will be charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Police found a gun in the car.

3 years jail for $2.3 fraud

A magistrate in Trinidad and Tobago jailed a former security guard for three years Monday after finding him guilty of fraud involving more than $2 million. The magistrate said the sentence was appropriate since Collin Murrell had a "minor role" in the fraud, that he cooperated with police and was remorseful.

Murrel's lawyer entered a guilty plea for her client and explained that he was experiencing financial difficulty and "desperately wanted to keep his family together".

So he found a fraudulent way to do it.

This is how the fraud was accomplished: Over a six week period he stole just over $2.3 million from a businessman’s Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) account and deposited it into a bogus account which he opened at a local bank.

The 37-year-old man was caught in a police sting operation and has spent the past 16 months in jail awaiting trial, but he is not getting credit for the time spent behind bars.

He was part of a scheme involving other persons who are yet to be caught.

Murrell's scam involved a forged letter and false identification. He faxed a letter purported to be written by Steve Scheult to the UTC seeking a withdrawal of funds and later, using bogus identification, collected a cheque for $180,000 from Scheult’s account.

He subsequently opened an account with First Citizens Bank (FCB) where he deposited the cheque. The prosecution told the court that Murrell stole $2,355,000 during a six-week period.

When the legitimate owner of the UTC account found out about the missing money he reported the matter to police, who then established a “sting operation,” in which Murrell was held.

The stolen money has not been recovered. The UTC issued a media release earlier this year in reference to the court case stating that since the incident, it has “substantially improved its controls and measures to protect our customers’ investments.

“For security reasons, details of these controls and measures cannot be publicly disclosed,” it said.

Happy Birthday to the LOONIE

On June 30, 1987, 80 million golden "loonie" coins — named after the bird that appears on the back of the coin — were circulated across Canada, replacing the paper $1 bill. Twenty-two years later the loonie is still popular among coin collectors.

Although many consumers were not amused at carrying around heavy "small change", they've come to love the loonie. And they don't seem to mind the "toonie", the coin that retired the $2 dollar bill.

Ramesh objects to TT-Caricom stimulus plan

Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj has written to the Prime Minister telling Patrick Manning that he should have consulted citizens of the country before embarking on his initiative to help cash-strapped Eastern Caribbean countries.

His letter, which he sent to the news media, said Manning's action showed "a total disconnect between the Government and the problems of the people which adversely affect their daily lives".

Manning spoke in Parliament on Wednesday about what has been described as a financial stimulus plan for the country's eastern Caribbean neighbours. The plan includes a quarry in Dominica, an aircraft maintenance facility in Grenada and a ship maintenance facility in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Read the story: Manning outlines TT-Caricom stimulus package

Maharaj's letter chastises Manning for demonstrating "a total lack of appreciation by you of the democratic process for the electorate to have a voice in the making by Government of important policy decisions which impact upon their daily lives."

It added, "The electorate and our citizens cannot get their basic problems of governance redressed which problems adversely affect their daily lives, but you, Mr Prime Minister have decided to implement a policy to spend their monies on the Eastern Caribbean without first consulting them."

Maharaj said he is not objecting to any financial assistance for the country's Caribbean neighbours. However he insisted that a decision of such a magnitude should have been made only after input from the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

Maharaj said he would raise a motion on the issue at Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives.

T&T condemns Honduran coup

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has condemned the coup in Honduras and called for the deposed leader to be returned to office.

Soldiers arrested President Manuel Zelaya Sunday morning and deported him to neighbouring Costa Rica. Later the Congress approved what it said was Zelaya's resignation and appointed the head of congress as the the country's interim president. However, Zelaya said he never submitted any resignation and remains the Honduran leader.

The move came as Hondurans were getting ready to vote in a referendum that the Supreme Court had declared illegal. The vote was intended to abolish term limits for the president, who was first elected in 2006.

The military coup was immediately condemned by Latin American allies like Venezuela and Ecuador, with both countries saying they won't recognize any new government in the country.

And the United States also came out in full support of Zelaya, stating emphatically that Zelaya is the only person Washington recognizes as the constitutional head of the Honduran government.

In a news release Sunday Manning added his voice to the growing international condemnation of the coup and called for the "immediate restitution of the constitutionally-elected Government of President Zelaya."

Manning said, as Chairman of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, and "in keeping with the Inter American Democratic Charter, the situation in Honduras today clearly affects the development of that country's democratic political institutional process and the legitimate exercise of power."

The statement added, "the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will continue to take a keen interest in the developments in this matter in the organisations of American States."

More on the Honduran story from REUTERS

New T&T "civilian" police squad on duty from Monday

A report in the Sunday Guardian says a new 250-member crime unit goes to work in Trinidad & Tobago Monday.

But don't expect a dramatic increase in police visibility. That's because the officers on bikes and foot patrol and motorcycles will be casually dressed in civilian clothes.

The report says the members of the new crime-busting unit were trained over a two-week period as part of a multi-million-dollar strategy aimed at reducing robberies, murders and other violent and serious crimes.

The unit will be under the direct command of acting Police Commissioner James Philbert.

The aim of the authorities is for the police to "blend-in" looking for any lawbreaker from litterbugs and illegal vendors to gun-runners and murderers. The unit will also be watching for traffic violaters, hoping to cut down on road accidents.

The members of this hand-picked team will operate in small units and will be based in Chaguanas. Authorities say they'll have the most modern equipment and technology at their disposal and their work will bring about a 10 per cent reduction in crime.

Senior officers have told the Guardian the new unit would further deplete the strength at the various police stations. One officer told the paper the major problem that the police service faces is that it has too many special units that are “doing very little” for all the money invested in them.

“That is where the problem comes in. Every time things get out of control, you are hearing about a new unit. I think they should disband all the units and augment the strength at various stations, so the work could be done much more effectively,” the lawman told the paper on condition of anonymity.

There are nearly 30 special units in the Trinidad & Tobago police service.

Jamaica looks to the IMF for support

The Prime Minister of Jamaica is going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance to deal with the island's economic problems. But Bruce Golding has promised Jamaicans that his administration will only enter into an agreement with the institution if the terms are beneficial to Jamaica.

"We are not going to go back into any IMF agreement unless we are satisfied that that agreement is good for Jamaica, that it has the provisions in it to help Jamaica to move forward, and not to help Jamaica to go into any reverse gear. We are not into that," he said.

During his budget presentation last month, Golding said that Jamaica is looking at possible assistance from the IMF in light of the global financial crisis and continued concerns about the country's balance of payments.

The country's shortfall in foreign exchange is due to the impact of the global financial crisis on the island’s main sources of foreign exchange, particularly bauxite, remittances and tourism.

Its Net International Reserves (NIR) is looking a little better now at US$1.67 billion at the end of May following more than six consecutive months of decline.

On Thursday, Golding and his finance minister met with the social partnership group that includes the private sector, trade unions and the opposition to discuss the terms under which the country should enter into a funding arrangement with the IMF.

Golding promised to continue discussions with the groups as negotiations with the IMF, which begin in Washington next week, progresses. However he warned that the IMF intervention would not solve Jamaica's problems. The solution, he said, is to produce more and import less.

"We all recognise that while you may need an IMF agreement to help you through this immediate storm that we are facing, an IMF agreement is not going to solve the problems of Jamaica. No World Bank, no IDB (Inter American Development Bank), is going to be able to solve the problems of Jamaica...You could simplify it in one statement, we import too much and we do not produce enough for ourselves.

“It is only through increased production that Jamaicans would be able to build the economy, create jobs and build prosperity for the country.

"Whether the problem is unemployment, or crime, driven by a lack of opportunity, or it is bad roads because we are not deriving enough revenue to fix the roads as fast as we want...it comes down to one equation, we need to produce more, to depend on foreign producers less, and that is the way in which we are going to build the economy, create jobs and prosperity for Jamaica,” Golding added.

The IMF was Jamaica's worst nightmare during the 1970s when Michael Manley was forced to go to the institution for financial support for his People's National Party's (PNP) government's socialist polices. The IMF was less than sympathetic to Manley's "revolution", which did not suit Washington's agenda, and the courtship with the institution led to Manley's dramtic fall from power in 1980.

In that election a popular slogan of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party led by Edward Seaga was "IMF - Is Manley Fault". The PNP, despite Manley's personal charisma, was swept out of office with Seaga's JLP winning 51 of the 60 seats in Parliament in one of the most violent election campaigns the island has ever seen.

Manley eventually returned to power in 1989 with a revised economic plan and a toned down political philosophy.

Read the Jamaica Gleaner's column on Manley's social revolution

What's an acceptable way to die minister?

My friend, Richard Thomas, sent me a copy of a brief letter he wrote to news editors in Trinidad and Tobago.

This is what it said:

"Dear Minister Martin Joseph,

"In your media briefing response to the shooting murder of Camille Daniel, you mentioned that it is "unacceptable for any citizen in this country to be murdered in such a way."

"Mr. Minister! Is there an acceptable way for citizens to be murdered then?"

Richard's question highlights the absurdity of the response of the minister of national security about the murder and is proof that Martin Joseph is not fit to have that job.

In case you missed it, this is what Joseph said in a statement issued after the killing:

"It is clear that the criminal elements are not letting up. I condemn this act in the strongest possible terms.

"It is unacceptable for any citizen in this country to be murdered in such a way.

"This is a battle that all law-abiding citizens in Trinidad and Tobago must join to stop this small minority of individuals who are bent on causing chaos in this society and bring harm to innocent citizens.

"It is even worse that such a heinous act could occur on the premises of a police station where people ought to feel safe.

"I wish to express my sympathies and that of the Government to the family of this victim.

"I am informed by the police that two persons have been apprehended and are assisting them in their investigations.

"I am sure the Commissioner of Police, Mr James Philbert will keep the media informed as to the status of the investigations at a later time."

Well the acting commissioner has commented. Philbert told media that his troops did all they could under the circumstances and that it is OK for citizens to go to police stations for protection.

Are you serious, Mr Commissioner?

A woman is killed in cold blood as she drives into a police station - one of the five "model stations" in the country - the car is wrecked and killers have enough time to escape and you tell citizens the police did the best they could? And further you want people to feel safe?

Here is what the man said: "I am satisfied based on what took place...that the police acted as best as they could. I think they did what they had to do, considering what took place in that short space of time.”

Murder right in your face, police with guns and two killers walk out of a wrecked car, probably injured, and escape. And that's OK with the police commissioner. I must be missing something.

And Philbert, like the minister, is again promising to take out the criminals: “We are not throwing up our hands in the air at all. The police will continue to do what is necessary to remove criminals from our midst, the streets and wherever they are...We are going to have to weed them out, and we will!"

And here's the most asinine comment yet. People must be patient, Philbert told reporters.

Patient? You cannot be serious!

How much more patience you want from a nation that is living in fear, where 270 citizens have been murdered in less than six months?

Commission asks for report on killing of woman in police station

The Police Service Commission of Trinidad and Tobago has ordered acting Police Commissioner James Philbert to provide a report on the killing of a woman earlier this week on the compound of a police station.

Camille Daniel, 39, was shot and killed when she drove her hijacked car into the compound of the West End Police Station on Wednesday.

Read the story: Murder in police station yard

A news release said, "The Commission deplores in the strongest possible terms, the increasing violence in the country and expresses its abhorrence at the recent acts of criminality.

"Pursuant to its role of monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of discharge of the functions of the Commissioner of Police as conferred by the Constitution, the commission has directed the acting Commissioner of Police to provide a special report on the measures which he intends to put in place to arrest the deteriorating situation in the interest and safety of the citizens of the nation.”

In his first official response to the murder Philbert said he is satisfied that officers at the station "responded in a timely manner" after Daniel was shot dead.

“I am satisfied based on what took place...that the police acted as best as they could. I think they did what they had to do, considering what took place in that short space of time,” Philbert told reporters.

He assured citizens that police stations are safe and said the police are not about to surrender to criminals. “We are not throwing up our hands in the air at all. The police will continue to do what is necessary to remove criminals from our midst, the streets and wherever they are,” Philbert said.

“We are going to have to weed them out, and we will!" he promised.” And he called on citizens to be patient.

In his reaction to the brutal killing that pushed the years homicide total to 270, opposition leader Basdeo Panday said the murder sends a very strong signal from the criminal element that they have no fear for the law enforcement and judicial systems in Trinidad and Tobago.

In a media statement Panday said the protective agencies must use every lawful measure and the full resources of the State to snuff out criminal activity. He added, "Failure to promptly gain control of the situation will result in the country plummeting into a state of anarchy."

He accused the government of refusing to effectively deal with the crime problem while trying to fix the problems of other nations and urged citizens to do something about it.

"If we continue to be uninterested or unwilling to stand up against the government we will have no choice but to accept the society we allow them to create for us," he said.

"As this social crisis deepens I urge citizens to gather among yourselves in your communities and discuss the ways you can deliver the message of your discontent and frustration to the government...Tell the government loud and clear that if they continue to violate the social contract, that they will not be able to rest and that they will have to run."

The former prime minister said, "The power, Brothers and Sisters, is in your hands. Use it before it is too late."

Inflation down in May but still at 10.3 per cent

The Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago on Friday announced that the annual inflation rate in the country for the month of May declined but still remains in double digits.

In a bulletin it said headline inflation slowed to 10.3 per cent in May from 11.9 per cent in the previous month. Food remains the main contributor to headline inflation.

It was 19.6 per cent in the twelve months to May compared with 25.2 per cent in April. The bank said when food inflation is removed from the figures the "core inflation" rate was 5.8 per cent, which represented a reversal of the upward trend.

The Bank said it is still uncertain as to whether the significant reduction in inflation is the start of a downward trend. It said the inflation figure coincides with a slowing in domestic economic activity.

"Under these circumstances, the Bank has decided to reduce the “Repo” rate by 50 basis points to 7.50 per cent. That's the official overnight interest rate at which banks can borrow money from the Central Bank in order to avoid a scarcity of funds.

Read the details from the CB

Pop icon Michael Jackson dead at 50

Pop icon Michael Jackson died at a Los Angeles hospital Thursday afternoon after suffering cardiac arrest at his home. He was 50.

The Associated press said, "Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

"He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves, his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single
sequined glove and tight, military-style jacket were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance."

Visit the official Michael Jackson site

Panday ready to quit if that's what people want

The leader of the United National Congress (UNC) said on Sangeet 106.1 FM radio on Thursday morning he is willing to listen to the views of his people.

Basdeo Panday said that he will step down if the people want him to do so. However he said that at the last party election two years ago it was clear that party members wanted him to stay.

Some members who are lobbying for Panday to quit have jumped on that statement and accused the former prime minister of being dishonest.

They say the UNC has not had an internal election since the one in which Winston Dookeran was elected leader unopposed in 2005. Panday was elected UNC Chairman in that vote and he declared, "Winston and I will unite the UNC".

That never happened.

Instead, Dookeran quit the leadership, formed the Congress of the People (COP), which became the UNC's arch rival in the 2007 general election, and picked up nearly 100,000 of the votes that had gone to the UNC in the 2002 election.

Dookeran rejected all Panday's appeals to rejoin the UNC, and on election night 2007, Panday blamed the COP leader for the UNC's loss.

Read the speech: Basdeo Panday verbatim: 11.30 p.m. Nov. 5, 2007

Dookeran's departure ahead of the 2007 election left a leadership void which was never filled through the normal internal election process. Instead Panday was named leader by the party's executive and he and Jack Warner became the UNC's joint leaders in the Leadership Council of the UNC Alliance, which was formed to fight the 2007 election.

There has been no internal election since the 2005 vote and now there is a movement for Panday to leave premised on the argument that Panday is the biggest impediment to opposition unity.

His own party is now split in two camps, one dubbed a "dissident" group led by Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, also known as "RAMJACK" for Warner's association with Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj. Panday leads the other group.

The "RAMJACK" group is demanding that the party change, settle its leadership issues through the long-overdue internal election and reinvent itself to be able to win an election against the PNM.

Warner has produced a Manifesto for change that outlines this approach and is seeking feedback from members of the party until the end of July.

Related: Warner's Manifesto for change honours Basdeo Panday

Panday has insisted that Warner is part of a conspiracy to "mash up" the UNC and that he is doing it as an ally of the governing People's National Movement, a charge that Warner has dismissed.

Panday rejects outright any talk of internal elections now, saying the party's national executive has agreed to defer the vote until after the local government election, which is constitutionally due this year.

That is one of Warner's key arguments. He claims that the party cannot win an election in its present state and that's why the election must be held now.

That's why some of Warner's supporters are incensed by the statement Panday made Thursday morning and suggest that he was being dishonest when he spoke about being elected leader two years ago.

"You did not face an internal election since then (2005), you were illegally selected as Political Leader by a few persons of your executive. If what you say is true, then call the internal election now and let the people decide who they wish to lead them," said one email from an angry Warner supporter.

UNC "dissidents" case adjourns to June 30

Basdeo Panday made a personal appearance in the Port-of-Spain High Court Wednesday in an injunction brought by three suspended members of the national executive of his United National Congress (UNC).

National Executive members Wade Mark, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Vashist Maharaj also attended court.

Three members of the UNC’s national executive took the executive to court for suspending them from the party for three months. The UNC kicked out Dr Rupert Griffith, Sylvester Ramquar and Don Sylvester, accusing them of "bringing the party into disrepute" and being loyalists to MPs Jack Warner, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Winston “Gypsy” Peters, whom the party considers "dissidents".

The suspension letter signed by UNC General Secretary Fazal Karim also accused the three of causing “ridicule and contempt,” and of “supporting and inciting violence against party members at the national congress held on March 22.”

The suspended members are seeking an injunction to restrain the 12 members of the UNC's national executive from further subjecting them to additional disciplinary action pending the hearing and determination of their breach of natural case.

They have asked the court for:

• A declaration that the conduct of what purports to be a disciplinary hearing into their alleged conduct on May 20, was ultra vires the constitution of the UNC, null and void and of no effect
• A declaration that the purported hearing into their alleged conduct on May 13 and 20 was in contravention of the principles of natural justice
• A declaration that the defendants have contravened the principles of natural justice in relation to the suspended members
• A declaration that the hearing into the allegations of misconduct made by Basdeo Panday was a nullity
• An order that their purported suspension from the national executive on May 20 for a period of three months were null and void and of no effect

Persad-Bissessar, who is representing the executive, told the court her clients object to certain aspects of the affidavits filed by the defendants. That matter would be addressed when the matter resume on June 30.

Murder in police station yard; minister declares killing "unacceptable"

Criminals in Trinidad and Tobago took another bold step Wednesday and murdered the wife of a soldier in a police station.

Carjackers were holding a gun to Camille Daniel's head as she drove into the compound of the West End Police Station in Diego Martin, in northwest Trinidad, hoping to get help. Instead the bandits shot and killed her in front of the station. She died instantly as the car crashed in the yard. Another woman who was in the car with Daniel is suffering from shock.

The attackers immediately fled. Police told local media security cameras recorded the image of one man, who was later arrested and is being questioned. They say two other men left the wrecked vehicle, scaled a wall and escaped.

Police are questioning four men and are still looking for the attackers.

Daniel's murder pushed the homicide toll for 2009 to 270.

In reaction to the brazen killing the minister of national security issued a statement to the media declaring, "It is clear that the criminal elements are not letting up."

Martin Joseph's statement condemned "this act in the strongest possible terms" noting that it is "unacceptable for any citizen in this country to be murdered in such a way."

It added, "This is a battle that all law-abiding citizens in Trinidad and Tobago must join to stop this small minority of individuals who are bent on causing chaos in this society and bring harm to innocent citizens.

"It is even worse that such a heinous act could occur on the premises of a police station where people ought to feel safe...

"I am informed by the police that two persons have been apprehended and are assisting them in their investigations. I am sure the Commissioner of Police, Mr James Philbert will keep the media informed as to the status of the investigations at a later time."

The station where the murder took place was considered one of five model stations, according to Joseph. Read the story by Anna Ramdass in the Trinidad Express

Manning outlines TT-CARICOM stimulus projects

Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Wednesday outlined to the House of Representatives details of a stimulus package to strengthen economic development in selected Caricom countries. The economic plan will see a cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He was careful to explain that everything that he is contemplating is in the interest of Trinidad and Tobago and not at the expense of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. He said they would be "complementary to our own domestic requirements...not just economic prosperity in one country as is the case in Trinidad and Tobago today, but economic prosperity in the entire area."

The first such move will be to establish energy links between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica which would enable Trinidad & Tobago to export gas to Jamaica and import alumina from that country for use in local smelting plants.

He said the plan would offer Jamaica an opportunity to earn substantial foreign exchange while reducing the trade imbalance between the two countries. He added that this energy link was the "dream of Eric Williams and Michael Manley, among others".

Another project would be an aircraft maintenance facility in Grenada for Caribbean Airlines and other regional carriers. He said Grenada is ideally suited for such a venture "where we have one of the longest runways in the Caribbean, which lends itself naturally to an activity of this nature." The government, he said, is studying the feasibility of the project.

Manning said his government is working on developing a similar maintenance facility for ships in St Vincent and the Grenadines, to service Trinidad and Tobago vessels, as well as other vessels. "We have fast-ferry boats in Tobago, we have water taxis, we have military boats that are being bought, and we need access to a ship-maintenance facility," he said.

He said St Vincent has a "very small" facility, which provides the opportunity "to expand the size considerably, giving St Vincent and the Grenadians a new area for economic development and, therefore, significant revenue earnings".

Manning's fourth regional initiative involves investing in quarrying facilities in Dominica to supply aggregate for Trinidad and Tobago that's needed for "the accelerated infrastructure development and specifically its highway construction, which starts next year."

He said the domestic demand for aggregate would outstrip the local supply and therefore the plan is to stop importing aggregate from countries like Canada and invest in the region. "One opportunity that, therefore, presents itself could be, in collaboration with an efficient quarry operator, to invest in quarrying facilities in Dominica and, therefore, give that country a new area for economic growth and development and job creation," Manning said.

Manning said Trinidad and Tobago would continue to examine the regional situation to determine areas in which its intervention could improve the lives of Caribbean peoples and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

He reiterated that it is in Trinidad and Tobago's interest to assist the region to develop economic activity. "To avoid the introduction of undesirable activities in the Caribbean, it is clear that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has to act and act as decisively as we can," he said.

Manning made that argument on Sunday when he addressed a special convention of his People's National Movement.

Read the story: Manning committed to...regional economic union
Related story: Opposition condemns Manning's "psychological blackmail."

Gayelle urges silent action to protest violence in T&T

A message circulating on the Internet says Gayelle the channel in Trinidad and Tobago is urging everyone to take a stand on violence in the country at noon on Thursday June 25 by shutting down for five minutes in silent protest.

The "lockdown" is to protest "the heinous crimes and the vicious murders of our children" and to remember the little ones who would never have an opportunity for a better life.

"We are asking everyone to simply stop what they are doing and stand on sidewalks across the nation, in front of homes/business/stores for five minutes in silent protest", the message states.

"The whole country must just stop - stop driving! stop walking! stop talking! go off the air!"

The Gayelle notice asks everyone to wear RED to "represent the blood of our slaughtered innocents" to send a message of silence to the government and criminals alike.

It urges all media in Trinidad and Tobago for support for this initiative, saying only the media have the reach to send this message.

Gayelle the channel's website describes it as "a community based television station dedicated to bringing out the beauty and talent of our twin-island nation by highlighting and celebrating the positive aspects through 100% local programming that is now FREE to all in US and Trinidad and Tobago."

Gopeesingh invites top doctors to discuss government's "parallel medical board"

Opposition MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh has written to the President of the medical board of Trinidad and Tobago asking Dr Steve Smith to meet with an opposition team as soon as possible to discuss the June 19th announcement by Health Minister Jerry Narace that Cabinet has approved the establishment of a "special panel for the registration of doctors".

Gopeesingh's letter says this is a matter of serious national concern since such a process will allow the minister to circumvent the Medical Board and allow 20 Cuban doctors to be granted licences to practice in Trinidad and Tobago.

Gopeesingh suggests that the panel is in effect "a parallel Medical Board which Minister Narace is seeking to establish." He noted that there was a similar development in 2003 when the then Health Minister Colm Imbert "brought similar legislation to Parliament to facilitate the hiring of 125 United Nations and Cuban doctors into the local public health institutions."

He said it happened after the constitutionally established legal Medical Board's insistence that it would not license these doctors on the basis that they did not meet the requirements of English proficiency and medical qualifications.

"The Government found a way to legally circumvent this position, and in the mean time, devised new legislation to ensure that the Medical Board would be under its control. By 2007, when the 'parallel Board' expired legally, the Government brought a controversial amendment to the Medical Board Act of this country, seeking to give the Government political influence by its power to appoint seven members," he noted, adding that while the measure succeeded in Parliament it has not successfully addressed the ongoing problem of a shortage of medical personnel in the public health system.

Gopeesingh said the reverse has happened with "senior doctors leaving in droves from the public hospitals in the past two years." He said the result is that the standard of health care has deteriorated drastically in the country, to the point where citizens now face real dangers of losing their lives in the nation's hospitals.

He said almost 150 Consultants and 270 House Officers Registrars positions remain unfilled while hundreds UWI trained doctors have emigrated because they have not given proper employment in the Regional Authorities, and because of the extremely poor and unsatisfactory working conditions.

"It is in this context that I extend an invitation to all stakeholder groups in the medical profession to meet and deliver their views and suggestions as to how this ongoing problem can be rectified, or at least, dealt with in Parliament, and indeed, if there is any legal action than can ultimately be taken, since the medical welfare of the country is at stake and the lives of citizens can be innocently lost," Gopeesingh said.

The letter is copied to Dr. Soliaman Juman, President, T&T Medical Association, Dr. Rajendra Persad, President, Medical Practitioners Association of T&T and Dr. Frank Ramlakhansingh, President, General Practitioners Association of T&T.

Candidates galore for Local Government Election

Basdeo Panday predicts that the Local Government Election will see candidates from two sides of the United National Congress (UNC) opposing one another in addition to the two other parties - the governing People's National Movement (PNM) and the Congress of the People (COP).

When the UNC under the joint leadership of Panday and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner created the a union with other opposition groups for the 2007 general election each party retained its individual status. Now Panday as UNC leader is saying that the UNC alliance has been disbanded and the UNC remains a unitary party.

But Warner disagrees and said last week that Panday cannot dissolve the alliance. So far Warner's platform for change is working on restoring the alliance while the UNC is on a mission to negotiate a unity accord with parties opposed to the PNM. Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar is heading the UNC unity committee and has so far enlisted one alliance member, the Democratic National Assembly (DNA) led by Dr Kirk Meighoo.

Related: Opposition Unity talks begin

Warner has held his own alliance meeting as chairman of the UNC Alliance leadership council. Since then YESTT's Stephen Cadiz has pulled out, saying he prefers to operate the organization as a non-political group.

Related: Jack convenes meeting of UNC Alliance
Read the story: Cadiz takes a "sabbatical" from UNC Alliance

Against this background a battle is building over the screening and nomination of candidates for the local election, which is due before the end of the year.

The UNC has been conducting its selection exercise for some time. Now Panday says the so-called dissident group led by Warner is doing the same.

"The Ramjackers are already screening candidates for the elections without the consent of the party. But don't let them fool you. They have no authority to speak or act on your behalf," Panday said at a public meeting this week.

The former prime minister charged that Warner and his group are selecting candidates "in compliance with an agreement made with the PNM".

However he said candidates from the "Ramjack" camp would not be able to use the UNC because the Election and Boundaries Commission will only recognise the signature of the General Secretary of the UNC.

Panday predicted that all "Ramjack" candidates would not only lose their seats but also their deposits. He attacked Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj, saying the former attorney general had sold out the UNC to the PNM before, a reference to Maharaj's TEAM UNITY that caused the collapse of the Panday government in 2000 and subsequently fought the UNC, leading to the 18-18 tie that propelled Patrick Manning and the PNM into government.

"He is an expert in done deals," said Panday.

Both Warner and Maharaj have confirmed that they plan to be involved in the election by ensuring that every candidate selected by the party meets the approval of “the people,”

“We’re meeting in two weeks to map out strategy for this,” Warner told reporters accompanying him on a constituency tour Tuesday.

Maharaj explained that “It is one party we are in the UNC Alliance and we are UNC...So wherever the UNC has candidates going up on their ticket and whoever the UNC chooses to do so will have to face the people and the people will determine if those persons are who they really want.”

Chaguanas mayor Suruj Rambachan told the Trinidad Guardian the "Ramjack" plan is a "to destabilise and try to destroy the UNC without realising they are destroying the hope of the very people they claim to be wanting to give hope to.”

Retrial for former PNM cabinet minister

The state has won its appeal in a case involving former cabinet minister Larry Achong who was acquitted in July 2007 on a charge of cursing a Hindu priest at an anti-smelter meeting in 2006.

The Appeal Court ruled Tuesday that the magistrate who accepted a no-case submission and freed Achange erred. And it ordered a new trial for the former PNM member of Parliament for Point Fortin.

On November 9, 2006 Achong attended a meeting held by residents to express their objections to a proposed Aloca aluminium smelter plant in Chatham. Witnesses testified that Achong used obscene language against pundit Ganga Ramlakhan.

Achong was charged with the alleged offence; he pleaded not guilty at his trial. His attorney Osborne Charles SC made a no-case submission and accused the priest of lying.

In his ruling on July 12, 2007, Magistrate Seemungal Ramsaran found there were inconsistencies in the evidence of Ramlakhan and arresting officer Deonarine Basdeo. Ramsaran freed Achong, stating that he “preferred that 100 guilty men be set free than one innocent man be charged”. The state appealed.

Achong had fallen out of favour with the PNM at the time and there were rumours that he was being victimized. Those charges were denied.

Acong's former Point Fortin seat is now held by Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon. His wife, Marlene Coudray, won a high-profile discrimination case against Prime Minister Patrick Manning. Manning had tried to transfer Coudray from her post of CEO of the San Fernando City Corporation following proper procedure.

In the 2007 general election Coudray was a candidate for the opposition Congress of the People (COP) in the San Fernando West constituency. She lost to the PNM's Junior Regrello.

Antigua fires finance chief over alleged Stanford ponzi scheme

The government of Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday fired the country's chief financial regulator over U.S. charges that he collaborated with Texas billionaire Allen Stanford in a US$7 billion fraud.

Attorney General Justin Simon told the Reuters by telephone that U.S. authorities had asked for Leroy King be detained pending a formal extradition process.

Reuters said King had already been suspended as head of Antigua and Barbuda's Financial Services Regulatory Commission. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indictment on Friday accused King along with Stanford and four associates of fraud, conspiracy and obstruction relating to the operation of a "massive Ponzi scheme".

Simon told Reuters Antigua and Barbuda's authorities would be investigating other offshore companies on the twin-island state to ensure that the "cancer" from the Stanford case had not spread wider.

Source: Reuters

Cadiz takes a "sabbatical" from UNC Alliance

Less that one week after Jack Warner convened a meeting of the United National Congress Alliance (UNC-A) that he formed in 2007 with UNC Leader Basdeo Panday to contest the general election, one of the members is leaving the group's Leadership Council.

Related: Jack convenes meeting of UNC A

In a letter to Warner and other members of the political group Stephen Cadiz of YESTT said he is taking "a sabbatical from all political party activities."

Cadiz, who didn't take part in the 2007 election because of disagreements with the leadership, said he wants to focus on educating the people about the political process and will operate YESTT as a non-profit organization that is not affiliated to any single political group.

"It is with this in mind that I find myself in the position whereby I must take I need to get the support from all the players and to be associated with any one in particular will undoubtedly present me with a major problem. YESTT is now a non-profit organisation," Cadiz wrote.

He expressed deep concern for the state of affairs in Trinidad and Tobago today. "We only have to listen to Mr. Manning's PNM Convention speech and we will understand how much of a problem we are in," he said.

Cadiz said he is working to educate the general public on the process of Referendum and the right to Recall, adding that he sincerely believes that "unless we change the way in which we view our politics and politicians we will never end the mess and confusion that we have had to deal with over the last 50 years."

He is also working towards getting these processes enshrined in the Constitution. He said he plans to work hard to convince the electorate that Trinidad and Tobago must not allow the Parliament to vote on a Constitution "unless we the people have the say i.e popular vote i.e Referendum."

Cadiz said because of the kind of national support he needs for these initiatives he would not be in a position to continue on the Leadership Council of the UNC Alliance "nor will I be in a position to participate in any of its activities."

He added, "I trust that you will understand and support my decision and with all of us playing a part, in our different ways, we will succeed in making T&T the place that it should be."

Panday unimpressed with talk of city status for Chaguanas, Arima

Basdeo Panday is not impressed with statements by Prime Minister Patrick Manning that the Boroughs of Chaguanas and Arima could be upgraded to City status. And the Opposition Leader has dismissed it as nothing more than idle gimmickry.

“How is the changing of the status of these places going to benefit the people of those areas? " Panday asked in a media release.

The former prime minister said there is nothing preventing the government from decentralizing public services, building hospitals, upgrading the market facilities and improving the roads and drainage in the municipalities.

"It is the political narrow-mindedness of the PNM and the government that has prevented the people of Arima and Chaguanas from enjoying a better standard of living," Panday said, adding that the attitude of the government is not going to improve by a name change.

Panday accused the central government of depriving all municipal corporations of funding for road repairs, drainage and infrastructure, as well as health services such as spraying for mosquitoes.

He said the government has not decentralized the operations of government offices to make services easier to access because of the PNM’s lack of will and interest.

“Mr Manning brought up all of these issues because he needed to find something else to talk about instead of the issue of spiraling crime, collapse of the health system, inflation and the corruption that his thriving under his watch and supervision,” Panday said.

Mother of murdered child demands apology from PM

Diane Henry wants an apology from Prime Minister Patrick Manning for a comment he made on Sunday in an address at a convention of the People's National Movement (PNM).

Henry is the mother of ten-year-old Tecia Henry who was found murdered last week in Laventille. Unlike cabinet minister Dr Amery Browne who visited Henry to offer condolences and offer help from social services, Manning had not commented on the brutal murder of the little girl.

On Sunday he told members of his party that they should not take Tecia's murder at "face value", an insinuation that it was not what it seems. He said, “There is more to it than that, but I am not at liberty to say.”

There have been rumours in the community that the murder was drug related and that the child's mother was part of the drug trade. Manning didn't go further but Henry is furious.

Read the story: Autopsy shows 10-year-old stranged

She has denied that her child’s murder was drug related. And she is putting Manning in his place. “Manning needs to apologise and he needs to apologise to the John John people,” Henry told the Trinidad Guardian. She insisted Tecia was killed because of “envy...Is just natural envy and jealousy. That is why they take my child life. I is a single parent,” she said.

Tecia disappeared on June 13. Her mother had sent her on an errand and she never returned. A few days later her body was found in a shallow grave near her home.

This is not the first time Manning has made such comments. He has previously suggested that some kidnappings are bogus or staged and he is on record as saying he knows who is behind organized crime in the country. "I know Mr Big," he has been quoted as saying.

Manning has also been roundly criticized for meeting with gang leaders, whom he called 'community leaders' and arranging for them to get government contracts.

Keeping count of T&T killing fields

Today's Photo: Jack feels the heat

Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner accompanied his constituents to a 'river lime' over the weekend and got to try his hand at cooking the curry duck.

UNC Condemns Manning’s "Psychological Blackmail"

The United National Congress (UNC) on Monday sharply criticized Prime Minister Patrick Manning and accused him of "Psychological Blackmail" and threats to force the population into supporting his antics.

The accusation is in reaction to statements Manning made Sunday at a convention of his ruling People's National Movement (PNM) in his capacity as the party's political leader and prime minister.

Manning told supporters it is important to support economic union with Eastern Caribbean states because failure to do that could risk the development of narco-states in the region, which would lead to a decline in the Trinidad and Tobago manufacturing sector because of the loss of trade in the region.

"Whether we in Trinidad and Tobago like it or not, we cannot stand idly by and watch the Caribbean in this economic situation and do nothing about it. We will pay in blood for taking such a position," he declared.

"We are not going to have enough police officers to stop the influx of illegal migrants into Trinidad and Tobago," he warned.

Read the story: Manning committed to development programs, regional unity

A release from the UNC said the party favours the deepening of the regional integration process but objects to any moves that reduce the country's sovereignty.

It said any change that affects Trinidad and Tobago as an independent state "must be the product of widespread national consultation and must only be pursued on the basis of overwhelming consensus from all the stakeholders in the national community."

The UNC said to date, "Manning has provided no details on the nature and mechanics of the political and economic union he intends to pursue with the countries in the Caribbean region. Instead, he has loosely thrown around catch phrases that have very broad and uncertain meanings.

"And now, he has come with threats to psychologically blackmail the population into accepting his vague plan, intimating that if Trinbagonians do not accept his plan there will be mass illegal migration, increase in drug trade and widespread bloodshed."

The party said it is the responsibility of all governments to provide an acceptable level of public safety to citizens, including effective border patrols. It suggested that the Manning government is deficient in that.

"All evidence shows that the Coast Guard is starved for resources and hence they are unable to effectively stop the human trafficking that stocks the brothels across the country, the drugs that continue to poison our communities and the guns that are snuffing out the lives of citizens daily.

"This point was well underscored by the Minister of National Security last week. Having recognized that the government has been neglecting border security, the government should move expeditiously to remedy this situation."

The UNC said it is also disappointed but not surprised that Manning refused to address the issue of the spiraling rate of domestic crime in his address Sunday while continuing to blame everyone else for his failure and the failure of his government to provide a safe and comfortable environment for industrious, law abiding citizens to lead productive, happy lives.

"Instead of rambling on about how he intends to use this country’s money to improve other countries, the Prime Minister should have told citizens how and when the terror of crime would be removed from their lives; food prices would become more affordable; poverty would be eradicated; hospitals would have beds, staff and medicine; flooding and other preventable nuisances and disasters would be stopped; all citizens would have potable water in their homes; and inflation would be brought down to a stable, safe level," the UNC said.

Manning committed to development programs, regional economic union

Patrick Manning rallied his troops Sunday telling supporters of his governing People's National Movement (PNM) Trinidad and Tobago is moving ahead with its development programs, despite the global financial problems.

Speaking at a special convention in Chaguaramas, the PNM political leader avoided the nation's serious crime problem and the growing army of jobless and instead boasted that unemployment and poverty rates have dropped.

He pointed out that unemployment in the last quarter of last year was 4.2 per cent but admitted that with the economic downturn, unemployment is now slightly higher, between five and six per cent.

He was quick to point out that even with the loss of jobs the country was much better off that those in the region. In St Vincent, he said, unemployment has reached 18 per cent, adding that it is between 15 and 20 per cent in most of the other Eastern Caribbean islands.

On poverty he said Trinidad and Tobago remains at 16 on the global index while it ranges between 20 and 37 per cent in the Eastern Caribbean.

Manning said it is clear that the country is in a much better position than its Caribbean neighbours and suggested that future progress depends on whether Trinidad and Tobago goes ahead with the formation of a political entity with other Caribbean countries.

The Prime Minister said the struggling Eastern Caribbean economies pose a serious threat to the Trinidad and Tobago's economic welfare and the well-being of the people, and warned of the threats of mass illegal migration from the Eastern Caribbean states into Trinidad and Tobago.

Manning said such movement of people could cause an increase in drug activity and run the risk the development of narco-states in the region, which would lead to a decline in the Trinidad and Tobago manufacturing sector because of the loss of trade in the region.

"Whether we in Trinidad and Tobago like it or not, we cannot stand idly by and watch the Caribbean in this economic situation and do nothing about it. We will pay in blood for taking such a position," he declared.

Manning said economic union would bring increased economic activity in the entire region - both in Trinidad and Tobago and in the countries of the Eastern Caribbean.

He said the people of Caribbean would likely move to Trinidad and Tobago seeking a better life and warned that "We are not going to have enough police officers to stop the influx of illegal migrants into Trinidad and Tobago."

He said such an unplanned influx of illegal aliens would place enormous pressure on the social services, including housing, education and health services. That's why it is better to do it right and enter into a union with those countries, he said.

"So when we say we want to enter into an arrangement with the Eastern Caribbean, it is not to satisfy anybody's ego, my dear friends. It is a realisation that if we don't go it, we don't do it at our own peril," he said.

Manning also spoke about local government elections, noting that he is ready to take on and defeat the opposition.

Manning talks of more autonomy for Tobago

Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Sunday told delegates to a special convention of his governing People's National Movement (PNM) the time is right to give Tobago a greater say in its affairs.

The PNM leader said it is time for Tobago to pursue “maximum autonomy for Tobago within the unitary state of TT” with greater powers to govern its own affairs, noting that the first priority for the island would be the development of a deep water harbour.

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London welcomed Manning's announcement, telling the Newsday newspaper, “We in Tobago now have the responsibility to identify what exactly we want."

London said the process in the THA started a few months ago. “We are well on the way. I think that the important thing is that we in the THA or we in Tobago must come up with the documents that craft a relationship and craft a prospective Bill that will give the kind of platform for those kinds of aspirations that Tobagonians have,” he said.

Clico funding of PNM not related to CL bailout: Browne

Industry and Trade Minister Mariano Browne said Sunday millions paid by Colonial Life Insurance Co Ltd (CLICO) to the governing People's National Movement (PNM) during the 2007 election campaign are not connected in any way to the Government's decision to provide a multi-million dollar bailout for the company.

Browne, who is also the PNM's treasurer, was commenting on a Sunday Express report that said CLICO's parent company, CL Financial, had contributed as much as $20 million to the 2007 PNM campaign.

Read the story: $20m CL money paid for PNM...

The company made the political donations even though it was already in deep financial trouble. In January the government approved $1.3 billion as an initial bailout for four CL companies, including CLICO.

Browne told the Express his party gets its revenue "from a diverse range of sources", adding that the CL group did not receive any favours.

"What is taking place now with regard to the CL Financial group is not in any way related to the political contributions," Browne said.

He said he is unable to could give specifics about the $20 million reported in the Express, pointing out that he was not the PNM treasurer at the time. However he doubted the CL contribution was that much. "I wasn't here for that but the numbers I have seen hardly suggest $20 million," Browne told the paper.

Browne noted that at this time there is no law that sets a limit on the amount of money any one contributor could make to a political party in Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking at a special PNM convention at Chaguaramas Sunday Patrick Manning said he has no vested interest in CLICO. The party's political leader dismissed all talk of conflicts of interest in dealing with CL Financial, saying, “Cabinet has the authority to act and we will do it.”

More Swine Flu cases, CARICOM plans emergency meeting

As Swine Flu continues to spread in the Caribbean regional health officials are planning an emergency meeting from July 2-5, in Guyana to discuss the problem.

The meeting of CARICOM Chief Medical Officers (CMO) are aimed at crafting protocols, specific to the region, on how to tackle this global pandemic.

However officials have stressed that the protocols which were being developed by the CMOs were not intended to replace the internationally accepted ones, but are vital for the Caribbean.

Swine Flu is having a serious impact on tourism, which is the lifeblood of many of the region's smaller states. Cruise ships have been turned back from ports in Barbados, Grenada and Saint Lucia in recent weeks.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (Carec) are collaborating on a study that would provide some much needed data to deal with the pandemic.

Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington has said that Swine Flu is a significant matter for the region and should therefore, not be taken lightly.

"We should all be interested in a policy that deals with this matter. As a region we also need to consider the importance of tourism and its value," Carrington said.

In Tobago, for example, there has been a dramatic rise in Swine Flu cases in schools. One school had to be closed for two weeks and principals are wondering if the authorities will do the same for other schools that are reporting new cases.

The latest WHO bulletin on the virus shows a global total of confirmed cases has reached more than 52,000 with 231 deaths.

(Check latest WHO statistics)