T&T gets 6 new patrol boats to fight drug trade

Trinidad and Tobago took delivery of six fast patrol boats Saturday and three 90-metre vessels, costing over TT$2 billion, are expected by July. The six new vessels have already been deployed at Galeota, Cedros, Tobago and Staubles Bay.

Together they will give the country's Coast Guard the tools to combat and significantly reduce the drugs and illegal arms trade that have infiltrated the country.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the six 30-foot Australian vessels, Prime Minister Patrick Manning admitted that crime is the country’s biggest problem.

Check statistics on the new naval vessels
Realted story: Trinidad & Tobago to receive two OPVs from BAE Systems

He said a lot of people are profiting from it and noted that the majority of crimes - between 50 and 60 per cent - are related to cocaine and illegal arms coming into the country.

"If we are to eliminate and stem the importation of cocaine and the illegal arms trade in the country, then we will be in a position to reduce crime by at least 50 per cent," he said.

The prime minister said the enhanced naval fleet would put the country in a position to confront the drug and arms trade.

"I confidently expect that from here on in we are going to begin to impact significantly on that drug trade and we will begin to see a significant reduction in the levels of crime that the people of Trinidad and Tobago are experiencing and the preservation of life, not just for citizens but for visitors to our shores,” Manning said.

“That trade makes so much money, my dear friends that elsewhere in the world, it is reported that the drug dealers no longer count money, they weigh it. And, it tells you of the quantity of money associated with the trade and why the trade has been sustainable, because of those who believe that it is a proper way to exist by profiting off of that trade,” he said.

Manning also praised National Security Minister, Martin Joseph.

"Permit me, my dear friends, to congratulate specially this evening the Minister of National, Security, the Honourable Martin Joseph. Because you see, it is easy to condemn, especially by those who have no idea of what it involves in the management of a Ministry of National Security.

“And in the face of all kinds of odds and against the slings and arrows of all kinds of people, the Minister of National Security has persevered to the point where, today, we are able to participate in this ceremony and to look forward from henceforth to a better and newer and brighter day.

"I congratulate the Minister of National Security at this time.”

$410M Sports facilities for T&T

The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago is planning to invest $410 million to build three world class stadiums and three community and sports centres in the country.

The state company is the one that was in the spotlight recently over the controversial $2-million national flag at Hasely Crawford Stadium. It operates similar to UDeCOTT, the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago.

An ad in The Economist magazine and local newspapers is inviting companies to bid to qualify for the design and construction of a national cycling velodrome, a national aquatic centre, a national tennis centre and three youth indoor facilities, a report in the Sunday Guardian stated.

The deadline for the request for qualifications is March 2, and companies have until April 14 to submit proposals.

The report quotes project consultant Tennille Clarke as saying, “We are in the middle of the tendering procedure, and therefore we cannot divulge any information, because we need to maintain strict confidentiality as well as a level-playing field.”

The Guardian said its investigations reveal that the velodrome will be located in Mucurapo and have seating for up to 5,000. It said it would accommodate other sporting activities as well as events, such as exhibitions, concerts and market fairs.

The paper said the tennis centre will be within the existing sporting complex in Tacarigua, and the aquatic centre will be located at Mount Hope. It would seat 1,500 people and have a 51.2-metre pool designed to host international swimming competitions.

The community and sports centres are to be located at Diego Martin, Arima and Sangre Grande.

The Guardain said it sources have said the Sport Company is hoping to begin construction before the end of 2010 with three sports centres ready for delivery by 2012.

There is still no final word on when the Tarouba stadium would be ready, which is a UDeCOTT project. It is years behind schedule and the cost has climbed from $275 million to $725 million.

Letter: Stop Manning from manning things!

News that some TT$400m-plus are gonna be squandered on building new stadia are, to me, in the face uff of all that's been happening uff of late, more shocking than the vibrations recently felt in Chile and Haiti.

Over and over again we've seen how, out uff of what's budgeted for public works and contracts, the greater portion is siphoned uff off and into pockets uff of friend and cronies.

Furthermore, seeing as it could cost Minister Hunt over TT$2m for his Hasely Crawford Stadium erection thingy, one may also surmise that, uff of the proposed TT$400m-plus, at least half will go to those who, undeservedly, hunt for their portion uff of the public largesse.

All told, then, when one puts the stadia expenditure in perspective, one may only surmise that $400m for stadia...$7m for Haiti, it's legitimate to ask uff of a government which beats its chest in claiming it cares: "Where is the love?"

Someone has to stop the man madly, momentarily, manning things! Kamla! Jack! We're ready to rumble!

Say when! [See: http://mangochatnee.blogspot.com/2010/02/beyond-silent-lambs.html]

Richard Wm. Thomas,
5rivers.kid.publik@gmail.com

Column: The Panday legacy - by Prof. Selwyn Ryan

Mr Panday’s reaction to the political defeat which he has sustained suggests that he is still in a state of shock and denial, and that he has not yet fully accepted the fact that he has lost the mandate of heaven...

In assessing Mr Panday’s reaction, we need to recall that he does not believe that maximum political leaders should be challenged by mere mortals. He once remarked that ’in Caribbean parties, some ’jackass’ always challenges the leadership’.

Read the full column in the Sunday Express

Quote of the day: Leela Panday: "Stop talking about him."

Read the story in the Sunday Guardian

Column: So what's wrong with a COP member in the Senate?

The good news coming from the opposition in Trinidad and Tobago is that there are going to be changes in the Senate.

Roodal Moonilal, one of the three deputy leaders of the United National Congress (UNC) announced last week that the new Senate "will take the country by storm”.

And UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has already announced that the party's two other deputy leaders - Suruj Ramabachan and Lyndira Oudit - will be taking their seats in the Upper House.

By the time you read this, Persad-Bissessar may have already announced more of her plans for the Senate. Would the Panday appointees remain? Would Wade Mark continue to lead? Would COP get a seat?

I have had some arguments with close friends and colleagues about this.

Their view is that offering the Congress of the People (COP) a seat among UNC opposition members in the Senate would be a bad idea because it would demonstrate a willingness to pander to the party.

My argument is that it really depends on how you rationalize a possible COP presence.

Former opposition leader Basdeo Panday set a precedent of bringing in non-UNC members. For example, he appointed Carson Charles, who was the leader of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) and later fired him to put in Sharon Gopaul Mc Nicol, who was at the time an executive member of COP. The party promptly fired her and distanced itself from the new opposition Senator.

The circumstances are different today.

The question to consider is what ideology or which constituency a non-UNC Senator would represent? It must not be a case of just putting someone there.

When Panday appointed Mc Nicol, his declared motive was to create unity but doing it without effective consulation with her party and its leadership negated the concept and she soon became a representative of herself, not the party and its members.

In the case of Charles, NAR had become a party in paper only and did not truly have a constituency.

On the other hand, COP not only has a constituency, it is one that is almost as large and powerful as the UNC's.

So as a constructive opposition, the UNC can and should invite COP to name a representative to sit in the Senate among the opposition so that the 148,000 who voted for the party would have a voice in the nation's Parliament.

That would be a high level of participatory democracy in which the voices of the people would be respected while in no way suggesting that the UNC is weak or pandering to COP or moving to merge with the party.

It would also demonstrate that the UNC recognizes that there are other opposition views that need to be aired and that it acknowledges that in a democracy, it is a good idea to hear what tens of thousands of people opposed to the government want to say.

That is the context in which I would suggest that the UNC invite COP to name a representative to sit with the UNC in the Senate. But it must not be done for the sake of offering a gift to the party.

For this to work, the first step is for the UNC leadership to meet and debate this proposal. If it decides that it is a workable political move, then it should communicate this to COP and let party decide who will be its nominee.

It would be counter-productive to suggest to COP who should or should not be its representative. This is why: if you recognize the party as a relevant political institution, you cannot dictate how it makes a decision.

So whether they want their leader, an executive or a floor member would be their choice and the UNC must respect and accept that. They may even reject the idea, but it must be their move.

The formula is not necessarily one that will find favour with some UNC members who are still angry with COP for causing the vote splitting that helped Patrick Manning and the PNM win a strong majority in the 2007 general election.

But Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Jack Warner promised a new UNC, one that would work hard to unite the party and those opposed to the PNM and then win government.

This is one way to demonstrate a willingness to move in that direction. And it could be a formula that would bring the goodwill that is needed today to create the strong opposition that is needed to fight and win an election against the PNM.

Winston Dookeran, the leader of COP, has extended his arm in the spirit of unity; Persad-Bissessar made a similar pledge, as did Warner, during the UNC's internal election.

Now is the time to make it happen.

Unity does not necessarily mean creating a unitary party; each can and should continue to have its own identity and be guided by its individual philosophies.

The unity can come through finding common ground and a system of accommodation in which the majority that voted against the PNM in 2007 can do it again - except, this time, as a united force.

When that happens, the UNC would be able to say to the nation, "we delivered on our promise!"

Unity comes only when leaders see beyond today.

What will always remain true is this: none of us is a strong as all of us; none of us is as wise as all of us.

Jai Parasram | Toronto, Feb. 27, 2010

Guest commentary: The road Ahead for new UNC in T&T

It took a month but finally Kamla Persad Bissessar is fully in charge of the UNC, both inside and outside of Parliament.

She now controls the activities of the House of Representatives and the Upper House as Leader of the Opposition; this means she will now be responsible for the appointment of Senators and is now the official UNC representative for all official duties including consultations with the President and Prime Minister.

It was an uphill struggle to unseat Basdeo Panday who remained Leader of the Opposition because despite his defeat, a few Opposition MP’s refused to accept that Kamla beat him 10-1 in the January 24 election to become the Leader of the UNC.

Panday was allowed to keep the post of Opposition Leader until Thursday because the constitution states that the Opposition Leader is the person who has the support of the majority of Opposition MP’s.

While more than 13,000 members rejected Panday, a few of his loyal MP’s propped him up until Thursday. By doing so, these MP’s ignored the will of the majority and acted in a selfish manner seeking their individual interests and those of their ousted leader.

Panday had always insisted that if the people reject him, he will leave. So far, he has not kept that promise and it took a month for the President to fire him and he is still not accepting that his time is up.

That is the struggle that the new Leadership has to deal with today and in the months ahead.

Panday continues to insist that the UNC will be dead in six months. He refuses to accept that he is no longer in charge; this is the man who has always preached about a united opposition, about Party discipline; this is the man who is now is going against his own words.

The new Leadership will now have to balance the role that it will offer to Panday with the demands of the membership.

You will recall that the campaign had a few very clear points:

• Panday’s Leadership had failed
• He was unable to take the Party back to Government
• A new Leadership will rebuild the Party and position it to win the win the next General Election.

The result was quite clear; Panday was no longer acceptable.

The membership wants to be sure that it is not business as usual with Panday, that he is no longer running the show.

Even today, we still have the spectacle of seven UNC MP’s refusing to accept the democratic will of the people. Some of them like the MP for St Augustine Vasant Bharath will only support Kamla on his terms; in other words, this is about him, not the Party, not the people.

That is the greatest danger to the UNC today and it will be a tremendous hurdle for the new team to cross in rebuilding a credible Party that can deliver on its promise of winning Government.

The new leadership now needs to re-build and re-brand the Party. They must now ensure that in preparing the Party for the next General Elections, they reverse the trend of worrying about self-preservation rather than social change.

Prior to January 24 election, it was all about those in Leadership seeking to preserve their own status quo because they believed and acted as though only the anointed ones can move us forward, can criticize us, can speak for us and determine what was right and what was wrong.

The disconnect between the Leadership and the members/supporters was becoming more and more evident; the Party was becoming a place where only a privileged few were being welcomed and accommodated.

The new Leadership has promised to dismantle that culture of privilege and entitlement, and the only way it can achieve its goals is to keep its promise to the people.

The mandate of the new UNC must be to prepare the Party for success at the next General Election.

Their mission will be to restore citizen’s basic rights, ensure that they have the basic infrastructures in place - lights, water, health care, education, roads etc - they must ensure that law and order is restored and enforced, where the rights of workers are jealously guarded, where the culture of democracy is never challenged and where the promotion of the rule of law is our way of life.


This commentary by CAPIL BISSON represents his own views and not necessarily those of JYOTI. It was broadcast on Saturday, 27 Feb. 2010 in Toronto on The Caribbean Connection on Chin Radio 100.7FM, hosted by Jai Ojah Maharaj

Bas takes a back seat; Oudit, Rambachan for Senate

Basdeo Panday took a back seat in the House of Representatives Friday, rejecting an offer from United National Congress Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to sit in the front bench next to her.

It was Persad-Bissessar's first day in the House as leader of the opposition, having taken the oath of office the day before.

The UNC executive had agreed to leave Panday in the front bench but he refused the offer saying that while he is willing to accept the leadership of Persad-Bissessar, he will not work under the direction of Chief Whip Jack Warner.

So he chose to go to the back bench, sitting next to Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj.

Speaking with reporters during the tea break, Persad-Bissessar said she is “very disappointed” that Panday refused to sit on her left. “Mr Panday informed me that he is no longer under the Chief Whip and he wants to go the back bench," she said.

“That is his democratic right and the party will go forward. I think that our front bench looked strong and solid together and more will join us in that front bench as we go forward.”

Persad-Bissessar also revealed that she has asked President Max Richards to reinstate Lyndira Oudit, one of the three UNC deputy leaders, as an opposition Senator. Panday fired her recently.

The opposition leader also announced that Dr Suruj Rambachan, another deputy leader, would be moving into the Senate.

The opposition is allowed six Senators, so it means that someone will have to go when Oudit and Rambachan take up their Senate seats. Persad-Bissessar did not say what other changes will take place in the Upper House.

At least one Senator - M.F. Rahman - has offered his resignation to the new leader. Other Panday-appointed Senators are: Sharon Gopaul-Mc Nichol, Jennifer Jones Kernahan, Dr Adesh Nanan, Wade Mark and temporary Senator, Christopher Joefield of the Public Services Association.

Speaker rules against Kamla; PM won't face privileges committee

The Speaker of the House of Representatives ruled Friday that Prime Minister Patrick Manning would not have to face Parliament's disciplinary committee with regard to a statement Manning made about Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessasr in the House on February 19.

Manning claimed Persad-Bissessar bought a store in San Fernando “under conditions” that appeared dubious. The UNC leader said Manning deliberately misled the Parliament and should answer to the disciplinary body.

But Barry Sinanan disagreed. He stated, “I am not satisfied that a prima facie case of breach of privilege has been made out.”

Manning's statement, he said, “does not constitute a prima facie case of breach of privilege warranting its referral to the Committee of Privileges.”

All MPs are expected to exercise the privilege of freedom of speech in Parliament, and its corresponding duties, responsibly, he declared.

Manning defends his right to religious freedom

(Watch the video of PM Patrick Manning - runs 54:00)

Prime Minister Patrick Manning was on the warpath in Parliament Friday, defending his right to seek spiritual guidance from any person he chooses.

Manning was responding to a raging controversy over a church under construction in Arima linked to a woman who has been described as the PM's spirtual adviser.

He said criticism of his relationship with the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church and its leader, Juliana Pena is "tantamount to religious persecution of the prime minister".

He added that the constitution guarantees him the right to practice his religion, to seek spiritual advice from whomever he pleases and to worship wherever he wanted.

"Mr Speaker, the Constitution guarantees you freedom of association...freedom of religious beliefs, and everybody is free to pursue their beliefs...everybody is free to be advised as he or she sees fit spiritually, by whom he or she wishes...

"In the Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholics consult with their priests for spiritual guidance constantly. Nothing is wrong with that. When the member for Siparia, or the member of Fyzabad, or the member for Oropouche East, for that matter, consulted with their pundit or their guru for spiritual advice, nobody says anything wrong with that.

"When the leader of the opposition, emeritus, the member for Couva North, goes to India and consults with His Holiness, Sai Baba, for spiritual guidance...nothing is wrong with that...

"But when the prime minister decides that he would seek spiritual advice from whoever he wishes, the first thing they say is obeah, seerwoman, prophetess. And prophetess is meant to be a disparaging statement. Mr Speaker, that is tantamount to religious persecution of the prime minister...

"The prime minister is consulting somebody who is an ordained pastor in the Full Gospel Movement and who is a born-again Christian. It is time the Full Gospel Movement in this country, time that born-again Christians in this country, stop accepting the denigration of their faith...

"And particularly, by people who know none of the beliefs or have no idea of the premises of which those beliefs were arrived at in the first place...

"You get up and say something about the Hindus and you will find out. You make that mistake. You get up and say something about the Muslims....this persecution of the Full Gospel Movement has to come to an end."

Manning added, "Listen carefully to what I am about to say. Two days ago, two journalists from a media house in this country went up to Guanapo Heights and interviewed a lady whom they met there, who heads an arm of the church that at one time was with the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church, but there was a split in the church.

"And after the interview, they had a spiritual experience the likes of which they never had before... I will say it again, the likes of which they never had before.

"The media will be the first to tell you that the public has a right to know. And I agree with that. I am calling on those two journalists, who I will not name at this time...to report totally, completely, accurately and faithfully, exactly what happened in that experience.

"I will let them know, I know all about it. I know all about it, so I am in a position to audit what they say...

"Mr Speaker, I am giving them one week in which to do it...I will tell you this much about it. It put the fear of God in their hearts.

"I am sure that they are now rethinking their position on all of this. I am sure they are now rethinking it, but I would leave that."

Manning declared, "I am a man of strong spiritual beliefs. I will attend any church of my choice. That is my right. I would pursue the faith of my choice. That is my right as it is the right of anybody else...

"I will consult whom I wish for spiritual advice... And I will not be deterred by the slings and arrows of the members opposite... I will stay strong in my faith, and I will bring to the conduct of the Government of this country exactly the principles on which the Constitution is founded, the moral and spiritual values that guarantee the freedom of Trinidad and Tobago."

"PM can do what he wants...Kill the story!": Spirtual leader told Guardian reporter

Prime Minister Patrick Manning claimed that two journalists had a strong spiritual experience when they visited a church close to the controversial one now under construction in the Heights of Guanapo, Arima.

But according to the Trinidad Express, reporter Michelle Loubon and photographer Keith Matthews, of the Trinidad Guardian, said they went to Guanapo to do their job and nothing else.

And they have no idea what Manning was talking about.

Loubon wrote a story about a rift among members of the church known as the Light of This World Ministries, of which Juliana Pena was once a member. The report suggested that infighting caused Pena to leave the church.

Matthews categorically denied any spiritual experience.

"I don’t know what he talking about...he was not there so how could he know what happened or what we did," the Express quoted Matthews as saying.

Manning has challenged the journalists to write a full account within a week, saying he knows what transpired and can "audit" what they report.

What happened makes interesting reading.

The Guardian has published a first person account of what transpired during the assignment.

Loubon said she was told by spiritual leader Shirlain Fermin:

“Your job is a dangerous job. You have to write a report. But sometimes you might not come back...Keep it alone. Do not pursue it. God has a hand in it. Whatever we have told you, do not pursue it...

“PM can do what he wants. Anyone that riseth up against me will be brought to nothing...Kill the story’.”

Read the full account in the Trinidad Guardian

Too many unaswered questions about Arima church: Opposition

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has no problem with the approval of state lands to build a church at Heights of Guanapo.

But in the case of this "mystery" church there are too many unanswered questions, she told reporters.

“Nothing is wrong worth giving lands for a church, nothing is wrong with that. But why all the secrecy?” she asked.

She questioned the role of the state in the project and the roles of both the Shanghai Construction Company and UDeCOTT, the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Persad-Bissessar said Prime Minister Patrick Manning did not address the real concerns raised among the population during his 54-minute presentation in Parliament on Friday.

Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal had similar questions when he spoke in the House of Representatives.

"How they reach there? If you give Shanghai construction a map they cannot find the Heights of Guanapo? How they reach to Arima? Who carried them there?...The question is not the land and the State giving land for the church...how did Shanghai construction company get there, that is the issue," he said.

Moonilal said Shanghai Construction is in Trinidad and Tobago under a government-to-government arrangement to work on specific construction projects and wanted to know how the company could be involved in building a private church.

He wondered if cost overruns on projects by Shanghai Construction are "now paying for private construction in Arima? That is the question were are asking today."

Rev. Pena does not have diplomatic status: T&T Foreign Minister

The foreign minister of Trinidad and Tobago has no knowledge of Reverend Juliana Pena having diplomatic status or whether she has been a special envoy.

Paula Gopee-Scooon was responding to reports that Pena has travelled on behalf of the government and went to Zimbabwe in 2005 as a special envoy to Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

The Trinidad Express quoted from a report in the Zimbabwe Herald:

"President Mugabe yesterday met a special envoy of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, PM Patrick Manning, at State House...Speaking after the meeting, Reverend Juliana Pena, of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Church, said she had come to Zimbabwe to share with the President a vision that she had received from God, in which he revealed his desire to see change in Africa."

Read the story: Rev. Pena represented T&T as special envoy of PM Manning: Express report

Gopee-Scoon told reporters, "I do not know that she was ever a high commissioner-ambassador" adding that she was not aware that Pena ever acted in the role.

Pena is connected to a church under construction in the Heights of Guanapo and her name is on the foundation stone, which was laid on December 30, 2005.

However, Gopee-Scoon said the Prime Minister has the authority to appoint an envoy to deliver a special message or token to a Head of State on behalf of himself or the Government.

In Parliament on Friday Manning stated that no state funds have been used to pay for the travels of Pena. And he dismissed suggestions that the reverend travels with him.

"Mr Speaker...it is grossly inaccurate, and I do not propose to spend any more time on that... where the head of that church goes is her business. It has nothing to do with us. When anybody travels at taxpayers’ expense, you need a Cabinet decision to do that.

"There is no Cabinet decision authorising any payment for the head of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ to travel to any part of the world.

"There is no Cabinet decision, and, therefore, as head of the Cabinet, I am in a position to say that no State funds are involved in the following travel of the head of that church."

Panday ignores Jack's seating plan, moves to the back bench

Opposition Chief Whip Jack Warner on Friday issued the new seating arrangements for the opposition MPs in the House of Representatives, showing former UNC leader Basdeo Panday next to his successor, Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

But reports from Port of Spain say Panday decided not to occupy his front seat and opted to sit in the back.

The official front row seating issued by Warner showed 11 MPs in the front, with four, including Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj, in the back. Others in the back are Harry Partap, Nizam Baksh and Winston "Gypsy" Peters, who backed Persad-Bissessar in the leadership race.

Panday said Thursday he won't sit in the front with Warner as Whip and that he would advise the Speaker to make the adjustment.

Photo of the day: Kamla takes charge

UNC Chairman Jack Warner (foreground) applauds as President Max Richards hands UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar the intrusments of appointment to the post of Leader of the Opposition. Photo: Ingrid Ishmael

Jack dismisses Panday's "cheap publicity"

UNC Chairman Jack Warner has responded to Basdeo Panday's statement Thursday in which the former UNC leader said he won't sit on the front bench of the opposition with Warner and urged the political leader to dismiss Warner as Chief Whip.

Read the story: Panday will work with Kamla, won't sit on front bench with Jack

In an official statement Friday Warner called Panday's remarks a side show which is part of the "disturbing final convulsions of self-inflicted political death" adding that Panday's rantings are irrelevant and serve only to contribute to "the self-destruction of his once illustrious political career."

He added, "What you can unfortunately expect to witness from those who cannot accept the positive changes within the UNC and the politics of the country are these disturbing final convulsions of self-inflicted political death caused by their own resistance to the life giving changes that are so necessary.

"The political side shows...serve no other purpose other than to entertain the ruling party but the population at large is too preoccupied with the urgent need to do what is right and necessary to change the course of events in Trinidad and Tobago."

Warner called Panday's remarks "shameful and ill-timed", adding that "we can no longer allow ourselves to be drawn into such useless conflict especially when so much is at stake."

The UNC chairman declared, "The political baton has been passed, history now records Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar as the nation's first female Opposition Leader. It will soon also record her as the nation's first female Prime Minister. This is the only matter of importance to me now."

Warner said the population at large is too preoccupied "with the urgent need to do what is right and necessary to change the course of events in Trinidad and Tobago".

He adeed, "I have no intention of aiding and abetting Mr Panday, or anyone else for that matter,directly or indirectly, in their quest for cheap publicity so as to deliberately attempt to change the course of this new political era."

Times of India reports on Kamla's appointment

The Indian national newspaper, The Times of India, has written about Kamla Persad-Bissessar's appointment as Leader of the Opposition in an article with a Port of Spain dateline headlined: Indian-origin woman is Leader of Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago.

The article is reproduced below:

PORT-OF-SPAIN: Indian-origin Kamla Persad-Bissessar has became the first woman Leader of the Opposition in the Trinidad and Tobago parliament, ousting former premier Basdeo Panday from the post.

Kamla was administered the oath of office here Thursday by President George Maxwell Richards at the president's house amidst loud cheers from the seven MPs, who supported her to oust incumbent Basdeo Panday.

Panday had been Leader of the Opposition for almost 34 years, minus the six years he was prime minister.

Kamla's ascent to the position follows elections within the opposition United National Congress (UNC) party Jan 24 when she beat her political mentor Panday ten to one in the UNC's national elections to choose a new leader and executive.

She emerged leader much to the dismay of Panday who had set the machinery for the vote himself, but did not accept the result.

Kamla entered politics in the early 1980s when she became an alderman in the then St. Patrick County Council. She has served as a senator and then as member of parliament for Siparia.

In 1995, she became the country's first woman attorney general when Panday formed the government and later became minister of education. She was also the first woman to act as prime minister.

Kamla became Leader of the Opposition in parliament by getting eight votes - including herself - out of the 15 MPs of the party.

Kamla has visited India on several occasions, attending the Pravasi Bharatiya conference in Hyderabad in 2006 and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings.

Her forefathers were among 148,000 people who came from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 to 1917 to work on sugar plantations here.

Kamla unseats Panday, sees move as one step closer to government

Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Thursday took the oath of office to become leader of the Opposition, succeeding Basdeo Panday whom she defeated in the party's internal election on January 24 to become leader of the United National Congress.

President Max Richards, who administered the oath, said it was a historic event to appoint the country's first female Opposition Leader.

The Siparia MP has held the post before, but it was in an acting capacity while Panday was banished from the House of Representatives.

It took a month of negotiations before she was able to secure the support of the majority of opposition MPs to remove Panday and take office.

In a brief statement following the event, Persad-Bissessar said she is now one step closer to getting into government. She added that a UNC government would return peace to Trinidad and Tobago.

"Our party now speaks with one voice. We will chart a new way forward to deliver on the hopes and expectations of our citizenry, desperate for a way out of the crisis which the Manning administration has led this nation into," she said.

"I oppose the arrogance and self-glorification of the current leadership in the PNM.

"I oppose the lack of compassion and concern for the well-being of our citizens, so many of whom are ironically supporters of the ruling party.

"I oppose the trampling of the rights of workers.

"I oppose the view that people will vote only along tribal and ethnic lines regardless of whether they are being properly represented or not," she said.

The UNC leader said she represents change and opposes those who believe that things cannot change.

"I pledge to the nation that Trinidad and Tobago will be returned to the peaceful, stable and progressive society it once was," she said.

Persad-Bissessar told the media she is ready to take the party forward and invited everyone to come on board.

In a message that seemed to be directed by some members of the party who still refuse to accept her leadership, she said the UNC "is not in the business of running anybody out of the party" and promised to try her best "to hold everyone together".

The holdouts include St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath, who attended the ceremony although he did not sign the letter endorsing her for the post.

"I never pretended to support Mrs Persad-Bissessar and I thought I would have been hypocritical after she was appointed leader of the Opposition for me to then jump and endorse her," he told reporters.

Bharath had said he would accept Persad-Bissessar's leadership under certain conditions. He wants the party to have a discussion "to facilitate a graceful exit" for Panday.

"I think we as a country and as a people will always be judged by the way we treat our elders and leaders and our children," he said.

Panday himself refuses to be graceful in the new political landscape. In a media statement Thursday he said he would accept Persad-Bissessar's leadership although he still has reservations about the election in which she defeated him.

However he said he would not sit on the front bench while UNC Chairman Jack Warner is Chief Whip. He has demanded, as he has done in the past, that Warner account for "millions of dollars". He wants Persad-Bissessar to fire Warner and has said he would sit in the back bench until she does that.

For his part the Chaguanas West MP has again dismissed Panday's allegations.

Read a profile of Kamla Persad-Bissessar in the Trinidad Express
Read the NEWSDAY editorial: Well done, Kamla!

Kamla's pledge to Trinidad and Tobago

Full statement by Kamla Persad-Bissessar:

"One step closer to liberating Trinidad and Tobago. One step closer to government. That is how I see my assumption of the post of Opposition Leader this afternoon.

"Our party now speaks with one voice. We will chart a new way forward to deliver on the hopes and expectations of a citizenry desperate for a way out of the crisis which the Manning administration has led this nation into.

"I oppose the poverty, the fear, the squandering of our nation's resources, the ineptitide and corruption.

"I oppose the arrogance and self-glorification of the current leadership in the PNM; I oppose the lack of compassion and concern for the well being of citizens so many of whom are ironically supporters of the ruling party; I oppose the trampling of the rights of workers; I oppose the view that people will vote only along tribal and ethnic lines regardless of whether they are being properly represented or not.

"But my greatest opposition is to the sense that things cannot be changed. I pledge to the nation that Trinidad and Tobago will be returned to the peaceful, stable and progressive society it once was."

Panday will work with Kamla, won't sit on front bench with Jack

Basdeo Panday made it clear Thursday that he will not work with UNC chairman Jack Warner. And he won't sit on the opposition front bench until Warner is removed from the post of Chief Whip or until he accounts for funds allegedly received by Warner on behalf of the party.

In a media statement the member for Couva North said he is willing to work with the new leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, "notwithstanding my reservations on the integrity of the recent internal elections of the UNC."

But he said there is no way he will work with Warner.

"I am, however, not prepared to serve under Jack Warner as Chief Whip in the Parliament until such time as he renders an account for the millions of dollars received by him on behalf of the Party."

He said in the circumstances, he intends "to approach the Speaker of the House with my request, that I be seated on the back-bench on the Opposition side of the House until such time as Mr. Warner is removed as Chief Whip, or until he accounts for the millions of Party funds received by him for which he has persistently refused to account."

Warner has always denied receiving any money on behalf of the party and has dismissed the charges.

In response, to Panday's statement, Warner issued a brief comment to the media.

He said, "I am extremely disappointed that Mr. Basdeo Panday should seek to dim the glory of our Political Leader in her finest hour.

"Mr. Panday is aware of the historical importance of today because it will be the first time a female will ever be appointed as the substantive Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and to seek to hog the limelight and detract from this moment is terribly sad."

He added, "In this regard, I refuse to indulge him and assist him in making a spectacle of himself. As a consequence, I will not dignify Mr Panday's statement with a response today but instead I will join my Political Leader in the making of history at the President’s House...as for Mr Panday, tomorrow is another day!"

Officials plan to stop construction of Arima church

The Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation is planning to stop construction of the controversial church on the Heights of Guanapo, in Arima. The church is linked to Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s spiritual adviser, Reverend Juliana Pena.

A report in Friday's Trinidad Guardian quotes the corporation's Chief Executive officer, Winifred David as saying that officials would give contractors building The Light of the Light House of the Lord Jesus Christ seven days to explain why they are continuing construction of the building without approval.

“The usual procedure is to give them notice, asking them why the development is continuing...after that there is a process of seven days, if they do not stop the work, we then come back to council and get an order for demolition,” the paper quoted David as saying on Thursday.

David told the paper officials would deliver the notice at the site of the project before the end of the month.

"I have a person who has to report it to me and when I get that document, I will sign off on it,” she told the paper.

David explained that the corporation has so far received no documentation from the Town and Country Planning Division for the construction of the church. She explained that the corporation gives final approval to go ahead and build, based on the recommendation from Town and Country.

She told the paper she is not unable to say if officials at the Town and Country Planning Division have any documents relating to the project.

Gov't of TT fails to answer questions on Arima church

Questions about the construction of a huge multi-million-dollar church in Arima continued to emerge Thursday as reporters tried to get answers from Energy Minister Conrad Enill at the weekly post-cabinet meeting.

But the media didn't get many answers.

Reporters wanted Enill to answer several questions, including one about why cabinet granted state lands to the church in 2006, long after the cornerstone of the church in the Heights of Guanapo was laid on December 30, 2005.

"That is outside of the remit of the Cabinet," was his answer. "Cabinet is not normally interested in cornerstones and those kinds of activities. The matter that would have come to Cabinet would have been a normal matter - the grant of a lease. That would have been the only consideration," the minister explained.

The issue of the "mystery church" has become a political hot potato ever since Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner raised questions about it in Parliament.

Reports have connected the church to Juliana Pena, a spiritual adviser to Prime Minister Patrick Manning. The office of the PM has distanced itself from the church, saying Manning does not own it.

However the official statement confirmed that the church "is indeed being constructed on State lands, having obtained the requisite approval from the Cabinet since 2006."

Reporters asked Enill which church or institution applied for the land in Arima and to whom the lease was granted. He did not have an answer, but explained when "the appropriate officers" make recommendations based on an established process cabinet usually accepts the recommendations.

He explained that cabinet approves state lands for various projects "on an ongoing basis" noting that on Thursday "we did about five to eight" approvals for the leasing of State Lands.

Enill suggested that cabinet would have been out of line if it had approved an application that did not follow the established process.

"The thing is clearly set out in the law as to how government leases are to be dealt with and it has to be followed. If not, the Cabinet is going to be in breach of its responsibilities," he said.

Enill also did not have answers about the builders, Shanghai Construction Ltd., which was engaged by Trinidad and Tobago under a government to government arrangement.

He said he did not know such arrangements prohibited foreign companies from undertaking private projects and could not say if Shanghai Construction is involved in any other private sector projects in the country.

"It is not a matter which would engage my attention because it is not a Cabinet matter," he said.

Rev. Pena represented T&T as special envoy of PM Manning: Express report

The Trinidad Express reported on Friday that Juliana Pena, who is linked to a "mystery" church in Arima, met with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe in 2005 in the capacity as a "special envoy of Prime Minister Patrick Manning".

It quoted a report from the Zimbabwe Herald, dated July 22, 2005, which stated:

"President Mugabe yesterday met a special envoy of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, PM Patrick Manning, at State House...Speaking after the meeting, Reverend Juliana Pena, of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Church, said she had come to Zimbabwe to share with the President a vision that she had received from God, in which he revealed his desire to see change in Africa."

The Express asked government officials Thursday about that visit and under what circumstances would Pena be representing the country in such a capacity.

Energy Minister, Conrad Enill didn't know and told reporters, "I don’t understand why I would have knowledge of matters of that nature." He noted that he could speak about energy matters.

He stated that "in the normal course of activities these matters come before Cabinet, if it follows the course of policy, if there is a rationale we approve it. And we move on." And he referred the paper to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Express said it could not reach Foreign Affairs Paula Gopee-Scoon to clarify the matter.

Uff commission to miss Feb. 28 deadline to file report

The Trinidad Guardian reported Friday that the Commission of Inquiry into UDeCOTT and the Construction Sector in Trinidad and Tobago would not file its final report by the February 28 deadline set by President Max Richards.

The four-member commission was headed by British Professor John Uff. It was originally supposed to complete the report by October 2009 but the probe was extended and the new deadline set.

The Guardian said the February 28 deadline won't be met because of a judicial review case filed by UDeCOTT against Uff, and commissioners Kenneth Sirju and Desmond Thornhill, claiming bias.

Justice Mira Dean-Armorer has reserved her judgment in the matter and plans to give her ruling on March 5, 2010.

The commission began sitting on January 12, 2009. Hearings ended on December 8, 2009.

Indian diplomat praises Pandit Parasram School of Hinduism

(Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra chats with Dr Rampersad Parasram of the Pandit Parasram school of Hinduism)

The Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago hosted guests at his residence over the weekend to celebrate World Hindi Day.

It was a grand event with dance, songs, skits and poetry by students and teachers from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Cultural Co-operation (MGICC).

High Commissioner Malay Mishra commended local organisations that are reviving Indian culture throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

In his speech delivered in both English and Hindi, he lauded young people for their interest in learning Hindi, which Indian indentured labourers took to Trinidad and Tobago in 1845.

Mishra was high in praise for the Pandit Parasram School of Hinduism, which is dedicated to my father, the late Pandit Parasram, who served his community for more than seven decades until his death in March 2004.

The school was launched just over a year ago by my brother, Dr Rampersad Parasram, who retired from his post as Chief medical Officer in the Ministry of Health to carry on my father's work.

Mishra presented Dr Parasram with a pair of tablas and a harmonium for the school.

The school, which is the only one of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago, aims to educate citizens about Hinduism and Indian culture and hopes to expand to teach Indian music and Indian languages.

JAI PARASRAM

Feature: Securing Haiti Soldiers vs doctors in post-earthquake Haiti

Within hours of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Cuban doctors, Chinese search and rescue teams, and Venezuelan medical professionals were on the ground.

When the U.S. military took control of Port-au-Prince Airport, however, they prioritized landing soldiers instead of humanitarian supplies, according to humanitarian organizations like Medecins sans Frontières (MSF), and Amnesty International.

The militarization of disaster relief has led to harsh condemnation of what critics call an American-led occupation of Haiti...

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was unable to secure US approval to land in Port-au-Prince in January even though Haiti is a member-state.

Instead, they have had to form their base for disaster relief in Jamaica.

Read the full report by Andrew Crosby and Ajay Parasram in The Dominion

Column: Don't let Panday get in the way of UNC progress

As things "fall in place" and Kamla Persad-Bissessar takes over as the official leader of the opposition, there remains a divisive element within the United National Congress (UNC) that will be a continuing headache for new political leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and UNC Chairman, Jack Warner.

Persad-Bissessar has now completed the journey from MP to leader, having waited a month for colleagues Roodal Moonilal and Tim Gopeesingh to heed the people's call for change. However others like Vasant Bharath, Ramesh L. Maharaj, Kelvin Ramnath and the Pandays continue to remain in denial.

What is sad is that while the membership of the UNC and the nation rallied behind the campaigns of Persad-Bissessar and Warner, seven people seem determined to divide the opposition only because they refuse to accept that they were rejected by the membership in favour of a new team led by Persad-Bissessar and Warner.

Panday still refuses to accept the legitimacy of the new leader and continues to mouth his flowery rhetoric of saving the UNC, which he built with his "blood, sweat and tears", while insisting that the party would die within six month. The reality is that he himself wants to be the executioner because he cannot let go.

I have followed Panday's career from the day he entered politics and have worked closely with him both in and out of government.

Without a doubt he has contributed to the country's development, but the UNC and the nation cannot continue to rest on Panday's laurels while the nation groans under the weight of the Manning regime and cries for help.

Panday cannot offer that help and the people made that very clear when they voted him out on January 24.

The task for Persad-Bissessar in the days and months ahead is mammoth; she cannot continue to allow detractors to stand in the way.

So far she has demonstrated leadership and I have no doubt that she will continue to do so and take the party back to Whitehall.

But she must be careful not to let her guru and mentor get in the way. She must recognize that Panday appears unable to overcome his political tabanca and under these circumstances he cannot be an asset to the UNC.

He will remain an obstacle not because he is incapable of helping but because he refuses to accept change. That attitude caused his break with so many men and women with whom he had been associated politically over the decades and remains his Achilles heel.

Panday loyalists, including members of his family, will remain committed to a resurrection although it is clear that Panday's time is up and he must either work with the new political dispensation within the UNC or be left out.

It is all well and good to say and do all the politically correct things such as depending on the wisdom of the former leader and handing him a seat on the front bench.

But Panday doesn't want that.

His failure to send Persad-Bissessar and Warner to his famed political graveyard continues to haunt him, so those who expect positive contributions from Panday today are deluding themselves.

Now is the time for the UNC to move on with its agenda without Panday, whose old politics will retard the party's growth and its ability to return to government.

The campaign that propelled Persad-Bissessar into the leadership proved that the UNC membership wanted nothing to do with Panday and his few allies.

Except for Roodal Moonilal, every member of the Panday team was wiped out. The message was clear. Even political unknowns beat UNC stalwarts who chose to be counted with Panday.

This is why the new leadership must be wary of how they proceed in the unity and healing that is now necessary. Persad-Bissessar and Warner promised that to the membership and UNC members are waiting for them to deliver.

The membership and non-members alike expect the UNC to rebuild itself as a vibrant political force and government in waiting. They asked for a revitalized party that would offer hope.

Persad-Bissessar and Warner promised that. And handing Panday any front line position now would work against what the people expect. In fact it would be a betrayal.

Persad-Bissessar is the new leader of the UNC and Leader of the Opposition. That is what the UNC membership demanded with their vote. Everyone in the party - including Panday - must accept that unconditionally.

Jai Parasram | Toronto, Feb. 25, 2010

Kamla in full control, takes over as opposition leader Thursday

UNC chairman Jack Warner has confirmed that Kamla Persad-Bissessar will take the oath of office as leader of the opposition at President’s House on Thursday afternoon.

It would be the final move in the political change that began on January 24, 2010 when the Siparia MP defeated Panday 10-1 in the UNC's internal election, toppling Panday from the post he has held unchallenged since the birth of the party, except for a brief period when he had anointed Winston Dookeran as leader.

Panday remained opposition leader after the internal vote because he continued to have the support of the majority of opposition Members of Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar needed two additional votes to unseat Panday, which she got last week when Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal and Caroni East MP changed allegiances and said they would support her.

Moonilal is the only member of the Panday team that won a post on the new 18-member UNC national executive.

The change from Panday to Persad-Bissessar means there would likely be a divided opposition.

Panday is unhappy with the changes but still has the support of family members, Subhas and Mickela who are both MPs, as well as his long time ally and only remaining member of the original ULF team, Kelvin Ramnath.

They and Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath did not sign the latter supporting Persad-Bissessar.

Warner told reporters Wednesday there would be some adjustments to the seating arrangements of UNC MPs in both Houses of Parliament to reflect the change that UNC members voted for on January 24.

Moonilal told the media he cannot comment on behalf of those MPs who did not sign the letter of support for the new leader, but suggested that he party cannot wait for them to make up their minds.

“We are 24 months away from a general election and there is a limit to how much the party can slow down to accommodate persons who have not recovered somewhat from the internal party election,” Moonilal said.

On the new Senate, he said it "will take the country by storm” and show that the UNC is a strong government in waiting.

Moonilal did not answer questions about whether ex-UNC leader Basdeo Panday would be an asset or liability to the UNC.

Instead he told reporters, “Mr Panday has his own peculiar brand of politics".

Panday is still refusing to support the new leadership, but has pledged to continue to serve his Couva North constituents.

Panday uncomfortable to sit with Jack as Chief Whip, predicts end of UNC in 6 months

Basdeo Panday will have a new seat in Parliament on Friday but he appears to be uncomfortable with it. UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is set to take over the opposition leader's chair when Parliament meets next.

Panday left it vacant Wednesday by refusing the attend the sitting of the House of Representatives. Persad-Bissessar has dispatched a letter to President Max Richards advising him that she now has the support of the majority of the members of the opposition.

Apart from her own, the letter to the president contains the signatures of MPs Jack Warner, Harry Partap, Nizam Baksh, Winston Peters, Chandresh Sharma, Roodal Moonilal and Tim Gopeesingh.

Panday remains legally the leader of the opposition until the president revokes his appointment.

The UNC plans to keep Panday on the opposition front bench, with the UNC founder sitting on the left of the new leader.

In an interview with the Trinidad Guardian Panday expressed concerns about sitting with Chief Whip, Jack Warner.

"I find it extremely difficult to work under a chief whip who has refused to account for millions of dollars he had received on behalf of the UNC," he told the paper in reference to allegations that he has made repeatedly against Warner.

The Chagunaas MP has always denied the charge.

Panday also reiterated what he said during the campaign for the leadership of the party.

"This party has had 20 years of my blood, sweat and tears, and I will not let any international operator take it over, yet I fear the UNC will mash up over the next six months and disintegrate,” he told the paper.

The former prime minister also expressed concerns about the Congress of the People's (COP) unity meeting planned for March 7, saying he hopes the new leadership would give away all the UNC had achieved over the years.

However he assured the paper that he would not form any new party.

Kamla wants Manning before Privileges Committee

Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives to haul Prime Minister Patrick Manning before Parliament's Privileges Committee for statements Manning made last Friday in the House.

Manning alleged that Persad-Bissessar had bought one of the Montano stores on High Street, San Fernando "under conditions that appear to be dubious". Persad-Bissessar immediately denied that.

"At no time have I ever purchased a store or any property in San Fernando" she stated.

"Moreover, having described the alleged transaction as having been conducted ’under conditions that appear to be dubious’, the member was making an untrue imputation of conduct against me," she told Barry Sinanan.

The UNC leader said, "There are valid reasons to question whether by his slanderous statements, the Honourable Member for San Fernando East has committed a breach of privilege and/or contempt of the House of the Representatives by:

• deliberately misleading the House when the member knew or ought to have known that the statement was untrue
• imputing improper motives to me

She wants the committee to examine "to take appropriate measures to enquire into and punish the offence in a proper manner".

Sinanan is "considering the matter" and has promised a ruling "later on".

Not my church: PM Manning

Prime Minister Patrick Manning confirmed Wednesday that a church under construction the Heights of Guanapo is being erected on state lands but not with state funds.

In an official statement, Manning also made it clear that he is not the owner of the controversial church.

UNC Chairman and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner first raised the the issue in Parliament last week and challenged Manning to tell the members of the the House of Representatives what he knew about the construction.

Manning declined comment at the time.

But on Wednesday following a media storm over the matter, Manning sent out an official statement outlining his position noting that "the structure is not being built using state funds nor does it belong to the Prime Minister."

It added, "The Church is indeed being constructed on state lands having obtained the requisite approval from the Cabinet since 2006, not unlike other facilities given to numerous and diverse religious bodies throughout Trinidad and Tobago over several administrations.

"Over the years, the State has been supportive of ecclesiastical bodies either by direct grants; lease of land or facilitation and in this particular case, the involvement of the State does not differ in any material way.

"The Honourable Prime Minister will address the matter of Church/State relations in a comprehensive manner in the Parliament in an effort to respond to concerns raised by the public," Manning said in the document dated February 24, 2010.

No group or individual has claimed ownership of the multi-million-dollar structure. And Manning did not say which religious denomination or individuals applied for the state. He also did not explain the reason for his visit to the construction site on several occasions.

Media reports have stated that the person who laid the foundation stone for the church is Rev Apostle Juliana Pena, who is close to the prime minister and travels with him on foreign trips.

Read related Trinidad Guardian story: Rift in Church...

No debate on Guanapo church

The Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday turned down a request from Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh to have a parliamentary debate on the issue of a controversial church in east Trinidad.

Gopeesingh had asked Barry Sinanan to approve the matter as a "definite matter of urgent public importance" to allow Prime Minister Patrick Manning to inform the nation "on the construction of the church on State lands in the Heights of Guanapo, Arima."

Gopeesingh claimed that the government is spending millions of dollars of state funds on the church and complained that there has not been any proper accountability for the use of public funds for such a project.

However, Sinanan rejected it, stating that it did not qualify under the Standing Order under which it was being raised. Instead he suggested that the MP consider making the application under another Standing Order.

Chaguanas MP Jack Warner has made an application under the Freedom of Information Act for disclosure of information about the church.

Warner wants to know more about the application and approvals for the construction. He is seeking the information from the relevant government ministries and agencies responsible for planning and development. He is also trying to determine who are the owners of the church.

No approvals for mystery church: TV report

A television report in Trinidad on the private channel TV6 said Wednesday the church being built on state lands at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima, never got approval from the Commissioner of State Lands.

The TV report also said the Town and Country Planning Division did not approve the construction, which it said began three months ago.

The news report said the application for permission to build was submitted to the Town and Country Planning just two weeks before Carnival and that it was rejected.

The Trinidad Express newspaper also reported Thursday that there was no approval for the construction. It quoted the chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, Patricia Mejias.

The paper said Meijas admitted that her corporation never received plans from the Town and Country Planning Division for the church. The paper quoted her as saying that she checked with the building inspector and confirmed that no plans had been received.

The TV6 news service, which first reported on the story three weeks ago, said it has obtained the architectural design of the two-storey church and annex, covering nearly five acres.

It said the construction costs and furnishings amount to about $30 million.

The Light of The Lighthouse of The Lord Jesus has a seating capacity for 500 people, with prayer and meeting rooms and a baptism pool, the report stated.

The TV6 report said The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has a contract to install an irrigation and storage system of 9,000 gallons of water on the premises.

The Express said it was unable to get a confirmation on that. It said it spoke with Ellen Lewis, WASA's general manager of communications, who said WASA is not supposed to give out customer account information.

The electricity utility, T&TEC, also declined giving any information on what organization applied for electricity services for the church, the paper reported.