Who are these UNC people?

Re: http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/04/24/vasant-ramesh-fight

The captioned Trinidad Guardian article speaks of a certain "UNC’s St Augustine executive". It would be good if the persons comprising this "UNC’s St Augustine executive " make themselves known to the public-at-large, seeing as this "UNC’s St Augustine executive" is publicly shooting off its mouth in defence of the indefensible.

The article further mentions:

"Diane Ballah, former president of the Oropoune (sic) Farmers’ Co-operative, said: “The incumbent MP has given St Augustine the best representation since 1980.”

Wow! I wonder what Ms Diane Ballah's one-time boss has to say of this? After all, between 1997 and 2001, she was the personal assistant to then parliamentary representative for said constituency, John Humphrey...and, at that time, the UNC was in government, not opposition, therefore capable of delivering much more to St. Augustine than it could when in opposition ---it has been in opposition throughout Vasant's brief sojourn.

Ahhh! Elections! Never a dull moment with it, ent? For that's when the rainflies emerge.

Trini general election 2k10 dictionary.

NAPA: "Never Appoint Patrick Again" - [For this 2010 general election in Trinidad and Tobago, the central theme is obviously NAPA.]

rpm: "road paving madness" - [The rpm has resumed, now that general elections are just around the corner.]

flags: "foreigners leave and go suddenly" - [Whenever Parliament is dissolved and one witnesses more and more flags, be sure that many of them were in cahoots with the outgoing regime.]
Feel free to add.

Mores guide us each and every which way.

Inasmuch as certain leaders in the national political sphere have a penchant for using public platforms to criticize others over their moral and spiritual values and, inasmuch that mores guide us each and every which way, now, therefore, we, the straight people, wish to be advised, in no uncertain way, as to who, of those who offer themselves for/assume public office, are, more or less, unlike us.

Edwin "Crazy" Ayoung sings: "Patrick Manning! You Have To Go!"

Mordant criticism of Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Patrick Manning.

Penned by no other than Austin Jack Warner, "Patrick Manning Have To Go!" is executed in the finest calypso tradition ---where ebulliently blunt commentary on performance of public officials is the norm--- by Edwin "Crazy" Ayoung. Crazy pulls no punches as he lambastes Manning and his People's National Movement (PNM) cronies over their wanton profligacy during their years in government between 2001 and 2010.

The hook line ---Patrick Manning Have To Go--- is as irresistible as the consequences of London Bridge crashing into the Thames; and why not? For the melodic cadence borrows from the immortal nursery rhyme of the same theme.

The song was publicly launched on Monday 12th April 2010, at Marabella, Trinidad, when the United National Congress (UNC) launched its 2010 general election campaign.

The general elections were suddenly called by Prime Minister Manning, rather than face a motion of no-confidence brought against him by The Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in the National Parliament. (Elections would have been due in the year 2012.)

Since then, "Patrick Manning Has To Go!" has been adopted as the UNC's official campaign song and it has quickly caught the fancy of Trinidadians and Tobagonians on the hustings and everywhere.

Ahh, yes! Calypso, boy! True kaiso! They don't make them like that that regularly anymore!

 

Jamaat jammed him into a backpocket corner?

Maybe the thought of the Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen forming a political party and entering the fray ---what with whatever attendant platform disclosures such an entity would've made--- is what jammed the man into a reaching-for-what's-in-his-backpocket corner, as, by suddenly announcing the date makes it logistically impossible for any new political party now to be formed and registered.

Allah knows best.

Let the countdown begin to this country's liberation!

Follow the Leader, Leader, Leader!

All this talk of who is to lead the upcoming anti-PNM tsunami borders on nothing but arrant nonsense!

Parliament has been dissolved! Before that, by operation of our constitution, the country's political pace was dictated by two sides ---the government and the opposition. The government side was led by the Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, while the opposition team was led by the Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. With the dissolution of Parliament, that status quo has not changed ---both personages remain intact in their respective offices. That means, until the tsunami subsides, Patrick Manning heads up the government and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the opposition forces.

Unless I've missed a beat along the way, Trinidad and Tobago therefore has an undisputed leader of the opposition forces.

Furthermore, that undisputed leader is one who has proven her capacity to do what many others ---including those spout the "who-go-lead" talk--- weren't ever able to do ---to topple a Goliath and to back another marauding Gargantua into a corner.

Like I said, unless I've missed a beat along the way, all this talk then ---of who is to lead the upcoming anti-PNM tsunami--- borders on nothing but arrant nonsense!

We have a leader! Follow the Leader, Leader, Leader! Except those who engage in such rhetoric view the purpose of the upcoming plebiscite as a chance to vote the incumbent Leader of The Opposition out of parliamentary office?

Now, to what shall happen with the election itself! My prediction is that under Sister Kamla, the coalesced anti-PNM forces would win thirty seats, including both available in Tobago. Thanks to the preponderance of State-built housing schemes,

1. the Arouca/Maloney seat is a hard very nut to crack,
2. so too are Sando East ---where Patos runs---
3. St. Ann's East,
4. Laventille East/Morvant,
5. Laventille West,
6. POS South,
7. POS North/St Ann's West,
8. while Point Fortin,
9. La Brea would remain PNM by comfortable enough margins.
10. Rowley will retain Diego Martin West
11. and Dr. Browne Diego Martin Central.

But Garvin Nicholas will bring home Diego North/East for the People's Partnership by the slimmest of margins.

 Follow the Leader, Leader, Leader!

Another Manning VAPS.

In certain respects ---a very limited few--- Patrick Augustus Manning has shown he's not one that studiously follows tradition. His refusal so far to announce the date ---for the next General Elections--- hence does not surprise me in the least. Indeed, a good friend of mine and I have long-since deigned his rule to be one in many ways driven by "VAPS", for instance:

• Vehemently Avoiding Public Scrutiny;
• Verily Affronting Proper Sensibility;
• Vatically Adumbrating Pena Seerwoman;
• Venally Augmenting Persona Sunway;
• Viperously Against Public Safety;
• Vulgar And Plebeian Showoff.

Of course, there are many more mutations of "VAPS" that may apply.

Oh yes! We have no MPs! No Senators, either!

I wish the media would desist from still referring to those certain forty-one citizens as "Members of Parliament" (MPs) and to those certain thirty-one others as "Senators", since, as of midnight of April 8th 2010, Parliament was dissolved, therefore every then-existing MP and Senatorial position simultaneously, at that instant, became vacant.

And, since such posts then and thus became vacant, it follows that all Parliament-provided MP offices must be shuttered and all attendant paid-for-by-Parliament staff sent home to await the outcome of the forthcoming General Elections for their revival.

Or, did I misread the constitution of Trinidad and Tobago?

Section 43.   (1)   Every Senator shall vacate his seat in the Senate at the next dissolution of Parliament after his appointment. [http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/The_Constitution_folder/The_Constitution.htm#sec43]

Section 49. (1)   Every member of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House at the next dissolution of Parliament after his election. [http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/The_Constitution_folder/The_Constitution.htm#sec49]