Trinidad & Tobago
Volcanoes spitting fire, venting
rage at T&T Government
By William Doyle-Marshall
Since the People’s Partnership Government triumphed at the polls of May 2010, calypso composers have been extending their creativity to the affairs of the state and some of their creations landed on stage for the recently concluded 2011 calypso Monarch contest. Twenty-seven year old Karene Asche, sang herself into the hearts and minds of the judges with her Uncle Jack (Jack Warner) whom she dubbed the Minister of Everything was the central figure in her composition.
The two-time Junior Calypso Monarch gave what observers termed ‘highly polished performances’ of her two selections, Careful What Yuh Ask For and Uncle Jack at the Dimanche Gras show, Carnival Sunday night at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
An examination of this year’s calypso compositions released in time for the big Carnival festival, showed that composers artfully aimed their writing equipment at prominent players on the political scene. Clearly the song writers acknowledged last year’s election victory of the Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership as a natural vehicle to create historically relevant material.
Asche singles out Jack Warner in “Uncle Jack” as the Minister for everything, a man who does not sleep but is prepared to take action on behalf of the people. She observes that although it is still quite early, critics are already attacking the government. They are wondering “about the lady in de mini” if she is ideal for their (political) health.
About the opposition within the ranks of the government Asche sings “Some volcanoes on the stage, Spitting fire, venting rage.”
Tigress, an experienced performer on the scene placed ninth for her presentation “Woman to Woman” which congratulates Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. But calypso fans are wondering what was the judges’ propensity for making such a decision.
The composition mirrors a number of issues that should be considered guideposts for the Peoples’ Partnership during its term in office.
Tigress congratulates all the members of the partnership who formed the new government. She even extends congratulations to the blue eyed boy Calder Hart who helped plunge Patrick Manning’s People’s National Movement into the depths of the country’s political basement.
“All yuh buss de PNM throat, All yuh win de popular vote. De governance start,” Tigress observes. Then she reminds the government that it is one thing to be campaigning but to govern is another as well as keeping promises. Because the whole nation is watching, the calypsonian reminds Prime Minister Bissessar and company there must be no secrecy in the things they implement. “Ent is you who promise we, Transparent government,” she quizzes.
Just in case PM Bissessar might have missed the pronouncements by the folks on the street, Tigress informs her people are watching her alliance and even consider it a simple matter of cut and paste, luck and chance. “How long will it last? Is it a marriage of the heart? Will it wobble and fall apart?” she wonders
Taking time to recognize that Basdeo Panday, former leader of the United National Congress and Ramesh Maharaj, one time Attorney General, have been banished to history’s great rubbish bin, Tigress notes the PM is pushing a gentler image and a kinder nation now that she has been victorious at the polls. But she warns there are too many voices talking, and people don’t know who to believe.
Tigress wants Kamla, talk to her partners quickly, “Who breathing fire and belching gas, Before they run and leave yuh out yuh… ai, ai, ai,” she advises.
In “Election Lessons” Marvelous Marva counsels the Prime Minister that power could intoxicate so be careful as the people could remove her easy with their finger (vote).
“You were elected to serve all the people. Don’t let tribal interests put you in trouble. Service to your country is the highest form of devotion and for every action there is an equal reaction,” the calypso continues.
Marva wants the government to rejuvenate the social structures and amalgamate the country’s diverse cultures. “Service to man is to the creator or your reign would soon over,” she concludes.
It has become commonplace for politicians to break election promises in Canada and elsewhere. Well T&T calypsonians have issued warnings that the people will not tolerate that any longer. Body Guard’s contribution to the plethora of ultimatum type offerings is “Forgetful Folks”. He reminds politicians that they are living in a modern era with information at your finger tips; with email software, webcam on your computer. By simply pressing a button citizens can read their lips.
“So if you trap them in a corner like little Jack Horner, they go start to stutter until they stall. Just remind them of what they unveil when they was on the campaign trail; they go tell you flat they cannot recall,” Body Guard sings.
Referring to one of the government’s election promises to increase old age pension from two thousand to three thousand dollars, Body Guard croons “politicians don’t lie, they does just forget”
to track down media snitch
Port-of-Spain - Seven US polygraph experts retained by the government on Monday began testing employees attached to the Strategic Services Agency in an attempt to ascertain how sensitive information is being leaked to the media.
Sources told the media the experts arrived last Saturday and their stay is likely to last at least a week.
Apart from their airfare (business class), taxpayers will also be footing the bill for the experts' hotel accommodation, transportation and their services, which could run into the hundreds of thousands, sources said.
The experts will be using computerised polygraph testing and were retained after "sensitive" information pertaining to the agency and its employees appeared in the media in recent weeks.
Although it is unclear which firm the experts are attached to, sources said they are no strangers to the SSA, having conducted polygraph tests in the past for the Security Intelligence Agency. The firm was also instrumental in the screening process of officials during the 2009 Caribbean Heads of Government Conference. The decision to utilise foreign expertise came following the appointment of former SSA director Reshmi Ramnarine and the part played by Deputy SSA director Julie Browne, who, it was learnt, recommended Ramnarine to the post.
The once operational SIA is currently undergoing transition and will be merged with the SSA.
Sources said the decision to administer the lie detector tests on SSA employees came from Browne, who wrote to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Jennifer Boucaud-Blake early last month. She explained there was a leak within the SSA and recommended the experts be brought in to test employees.
Browne herself said she is willing to take a test. One of the main questions to be asked relates to leaked information to the media. Boucaud-Blake approved the request.
Sources said Browne will be the first to be tested. However, she requested that Sheldon Sahadeo conduct the test. Sahadeo is a local polygraph expert attached to the SIA.
Employees were notified of the testing last week in a memo sent by Browne. They expressed concern over why Sahadeo was requested to conduct Browne's test, while the US experts are to conduct the others. Senior personnel and other employees have expressed concern over the testing, since they were already subjected to one upon entering the SSA/SIA. At present, there are 137 people employed at the SSA. This figure includes those who were absorbed into the SSA from the SIA. Several employees have indicated they will not subject themselves to testing, since they see this as being a distraction from "the real issue".
One employee who did not want to be identified for fear of victimsation said that questions pertaining to whether senior personnel had prior knowledge of Ramnarine's qualifications should be posed.
When contacted, Minister in the Ministry of National Security Subhas Panday said he was unaware of the experts being in the country: "I don't know nothing about that at all. I have no info on that," he said. He added that questions on the SSA were internal matters and ministers are not necessarily privy to such details. He then directed queries to National Security Minister Brig John Sandy. Efforts to contact Sandy and National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister Gary Griffith were unsuccessful.
Ramnarine, 31, was said to have a BSc in information technology from the University of the West Indies, and several government ministers, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, said part of the reason she was appointed as SSA director was due to her qualifications. It was later discovered she was not qualified for the post.
On January 22, exactly one week after the appointment, Ramnarine tendered her resignation, saying her "personal safety” had “been compromised". In an address to Parliament weeks after Ramnarine's resignation, Persad-Bissessar apologised for the "mis-step" and subsequently announced that Col Albert Griffith would be the interim head of the SSA.
Port-of-Spain - Although there are a growing number of women holding leadership positions in the Commonwealth, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar believes the focus should move beyond merely increasing participation by women.
She made the comments in London on Sunday as she addressed a banquet of the Royal Commonwealth Society marking the commemoration of Commonwealth Day.
She said, "I wish to stress that greater emphasis is very much needed throughout the world on the issue of including women and girls at all levels of decision making. This is a crucial step if we are to ensure that the needs of women and girls are properly met, and it is also an important step in helping to empower women young and old.
"I acknowledge the growing recognition of women's participation in leadership across the Commonwealth, yet representation of women must go beyond the numbers to include factors of qualitative leadership and effective representation of women's concerns and gender responsive commitments."
Persad-Bissessar added, "Training of women leaders should produce women leaders who will be able to develop accountability measures such as gender audits to monitor and evaluate efforts taken to increase women's empowerment."
Persad-Bissessar, Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, said the theme of this year's celebration "Women as Agents of Change", was a "truly happy coincidence", as it is being celebrated when, for the first time, a woman is at the helm of the organisation. "It is truly a fitting theme as we embark on a new decade of this millennium, where we have three women at the apex of this august organisation, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth, myself as chairperson of the Commonwealth and the incoming chairperson, the Honourable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia."
Persad-Bissessar called on the 54 independent member states of the Commonwealth to work towards changing the fortunes of women for the benefit of all.
Port-of-Spain - Sales of Carnival accessories in Port-of-Spain got a boost this year because of the extended season and the government-sponsored People's Band, Steve Samaroo, managing director of Carnival supply company Samaroo's, has said.
Samaroo attributed the boost to Carnival taking place later than usual. He added that more people were also participating. He said that Carnival was usually around February 15, but this year was an unusually long season.
Added to this was a situation with two monthly salary cycles that gave people more disposable income.
Samaroo noted that his company was concerned about losses from imported costumes, for which Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston "Gypsy" Peters said he will be seeking Cabinet approval to implement a tax hike from Carnival 2012.
He said that Peters also created the People's Band, a free band for anyone who wants to play mas this year can bring their locally made costumes and play. He said new bands had also been launched in the past couple of years.
"We have lost business because of the imported costumes, but we've picked up business because of the new bands and the fact that Carnival was later," Samaroo added.
He said they have been in the business since 1949 and understood the needs of masqueraders and bands. He noted at this time individual masqueraders would be picking up glitter dust, make-up, body paint, spray paint, boots as well as gems to put on their faces with body glue.
"It is recession-proof because Trinis love their Carnival," he said.
Nadine Samlal, manager of the Henry Street branch of Wonderful World, said the countdown to Carnival saw their items selling well. These included temporary tattoos, bindis, underwear, stockings, nail polish and accessories.
Port-of-Spain – Local fisherfolk, braving the high sea, now have added protection of a high-tech mobile application that offers a direct link to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard if they need immediate assistance. Last week the first phase of the mobile application, titled mFisheries, was formally launched by Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim, at the Claxton Bay Fishing facility, Southern Main Road, Claxton Bay.
The minister, in delivering the feature address, commended head of the University of the West Indies’ Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Dr Kim L Mallalieu, and her team, who in collaboration with the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institution and the Distance Learning Secretariat developed the application.
He said the application, which features a GPS and compass application that offers navigational tools and personal tracking devices, would ensure fisherfolk safety on the sea. The application, he said, would record, through its GPS system, “the fisherman’s last location in the event there was any untoward situation which will be dealt with later on.
The application would address the need to bring information and communication technology to “fishermen to better understand the environment, the sector they were operating in and also to be more profitable and more safe in their environment.” Local communication provider, Digicel, donated Motorola Defy android cellphones for the project, while British Gas T&T donated synthetic waterproof bags for the fishermen. The team took one year to develop the application and make it operational.