Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: zuluwarrior on August 19, 2011, 07:48:58 PM
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CARIBBEAN*TALK*] Betrayal of the African Vote
The recent reshuffle or realignment of portfolios by the Honourable Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar is a clear betrayal of the African vote from the national community.
The actions of the Honourable Prime Minister do not reflect a master stroke from one who professes to be the Mother of the Nation but rather reflects the biases of both gender and race within the People’s Partnership coalition.
In spite of the well-crafted responses offered for this realignment of portfolios, one cannot ignore the fact that all the critical ministries are now headed by Members of Parliament of East Indian decent.
These facts as we know them speak for themselves:
- Minister of Health Dr. Fuad Khan
- Minister of Science Technology and Tertiary Education Mr. Fazal Karim
- Minister of the People and Social Development Dr. Glen Ramadharsingh
- Minister of Public Administration Ms. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan
- Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Mr. Kevin Ramnarine
- Minister of Education Dr. Timothy Gopeesingh
- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Information Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan
- Minister of Transport Mr. Devant Maharaj
- Minister of Local Government Mr. Chandresh Sharma
- Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Dookeran
- Minister of Housing and the Environment Dr. Roodal Mooilal
- Minister of Legal Affairs Mr. Prakash Ramadhar
- Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs Mr. Vasant Bharath
- Minister of Community Development Mr. Nizam Baksh
- Minister of Planning, Social and Economic Restructuring Dr. Beau Tewarie
- Minister of the Attorney General Mr. Anand Ramlogan
These are the facts. Regardless of what the Honourable Prime Minister wishes for us to think, the realignment of her Cabinet represents the marginalization of the African community and a misrepresentation of what was articulated on the People’s Partnership platform, which promised equality and justice in governing the affairs of this country.
It is strange that African Members of Parliament headed the two ministries from which major portfolios were excised and these two portfolios were placed under the control of East Indian Members of Parliament. The facts do not lie:
i. The portfolio of URP was removed from the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises headed by Mr. Errol McLeod and was placed under an East Indian Member of Parliament, Mr. Chandresh Sharma, Minister of Local Government; and
ii. The portfolio of Transport was removed from the Ministry of Works and Transport headed by Mr. Jack Warner and was placed under an East Indian Senator, Mr. Devant Maharaj in the Ministry of Transport set up to facilitate his rise to the position of Minister.
What is even more bemusing is that the two major work intensive labour portfolios, CEPEP and URP are now under East Indian Members of Parliament whose focus all lie south of the Caroni Bridge.
Of all the changes the latter is the most confusing since prior to the realignment the Honourable Prime Minister indicated that change would have been based on performance. It is confusing for anyone to understand how the best performing Minister could have his Ministry split in two while Ministers whose performance received very little ratings in the multiple polls published in various media could have portfolios added to their Ministry. I am speaking specifically here to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Local Government.
If this therefore is not an act of betrayal against the African vote, well clearly I do not know what is. What I do know though is that come 2015, the Prime Minister must perform miracles to convince the African community that her politics is not built on a race relations platform which alienates the African people.
-- Selwyn T. Josephselwynt@gmail.com "Not everything that is faced could be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." James Baldwin, Author
i got this in my mailbox today.
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nice.. gave me a post as to what we had in cabinet when manning was in charge..
war
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It is rather strange now that a majority Indo government is in power we get all these facts about how many Indos are given Ministerial posts or posts in high positions.I dont suppose anybody took a little time to tell us about how many Afros held high positions ,as opposed to Indos during the years when Manning and other PNM leaders held sway, those facts were suppressed by a PNM controlled media and now the media seek every minute fact to try and put down the new government,how bloody strange.The way I see it and I may be wrong,could it be that she choose the best people for the job,if KPB is choosing people on race then she is wrong but I dont think that is the case,she is no Manning and good thing too.
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It is rather strange now that a majority Indo government is in power we get all these facts about how many Indos are given Ministerial posts or posts in high positions.I dont suppose anybody took a little time to tell us about how many Afros held high positions ,as opposed to Indos during the years when Manning and other PNM leaders held sway, those facts were suppressed by a PNM controlled media and now the media seek every minute fact to try and put down the new government,how bloody strange.The way I see it and I may be wrong,could it be that she choose the best people for the job,if KPB is choosing people on race then she is wrong but I dont think that is the case,she is no Manning and good thing too.
What you're saying here is true of our politics and follows the natural trend of the ethnic based core of the two major parties. However it loses weight when you consider Anand Ramlogan and Devant Maharaj are on that list. Those guys have clear ethnic agendas.I am still bemused as to how the PM could make Maharaj a Minister.
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steups...suck ass frico.
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It is rather strange now that a majority Indo government is in power we get all these facts about how many Indos are given Ministerial posts or posts in high positions.I dont suppose anybody took a little time to tell us about how many Afros held high positions ,as opposed to Indos during the years when Manning and other PNM leaders held sway, those facts were suppressed by a PNM controlled media and now the media seek every minute fact to try and put down the new government,how bloody strange.The way I see it and I may be wrong,could it be that she choose the best people for the job,if KPB is choosing people on race then she is wrong but I dont think that is the case,she is no Manning and good thing too.
I get the thrust of what you're trying to convey generally, but I'm not going to be as kind as Jah Gol. Yuh acting as if this information was cloaked in a veil of secrecy during the PNM years ... so ease up with the melodrama.
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Frico... QUE... :beermug:
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It is rather strange now that a majority Indo government is in power we get all these facts about how many Indos are given Ministerial posts or posts in high positions.I dont suppose anybody took a little time to tell us about how many Afros held high positions ,as opposed to Indos during the years when Manning and other PNM leaders held sway, those facts were suppressed by a PNM controlled media and now the media seek every minute fact to try and put down the new government,how bloody strange.The way I see it and I may be wrong,could it be that she choose the best people for the job,if KPB is choosing people on race then she is wrong but I dont think that is the case,she is no Manning and good thing too.
What you're saying here is true of our politics and follows the natural trend of the ethnic based core of the two major parties. However it loses weight when you consider Anand Ramlogan and Devant Maharaj are on that list. Those guys have clear ethnic agendas.I am still bemused as to how the PM could make Maharaj a Minister.
JG, I agree with your point about the "ethnic" cores of the two main political parties. However, wouldn't it be better in the long run to expend one's energies on refocusing the parties around ideological lines rather than trying to score another "race" point by calling out so and so's defects? This colonial game continue to be played. Political parties are the gatekeepers to the levers of power and the primary source of mentoring for political leadership. It saddens me how persistent this structural defect is. Every developed "first world" country have political parties built on ideological rather than racial foundations. Ah guess people still playing dis game because dey tink dey winning :-\
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Why are we supposed to have African representation in the cabinet? Furthermore how did they get to vote?
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nice.. gave me a post as to what we had in cabinet when manning was in charge..
war
Indians in d last PNM cabinet Narace/ Kangaloo/Parsanlal/Saith
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It is rather strange now that a majority Indo government is in power we get all these facts about how many Indos are given Ministerial posts or posts in high positions.I dont suppose anybody took a little time to tell us about how many Afros held high positions ,as opposed to Indos during the years when Manning and other PNM leaders held sway, those facts were suppressed by a PNM controlled media and now the media seek every minute fact to try and put down the new government,how bloody strange.The way I see it and I may be wrong,could it be that she choose the best people for the job,if KPB is choosing people on race then she is wrong but I dont think that is the case,she is no Manning and good thing too.
What you're saying here is true of our politics and follows the natural trend of the ethnic based core of the two major parties. However it loses weight when you consider Anand Ramlogan and Devant Maharaj are on that list. Those guys have clear ethnic agendas.I am still bemused as to how the PM could make Maharaj a Minister.
JG, I agree with your point about the "ethnic" cores of the two main political parties. However, wouldn't it be better in the long run to expend one's energies on refocusing the parties around ideological lines rather than trying to score another "race" point by calling out so and so's defects? This colonial game continue to be played. Political parties are the gatekeepers to the levers of power and the primary source of mentoring for political leadership. It saddens me how persistent this structural defect is. Every developed "first world" country have political parties built on ideological rather than racial foundations. Ah guess people still playing dis game because dey tink dey winning :-\
That's a huge load of :bs:
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Why are we supposed to have African representation in the cabinet? Furthermore how did they get to vote?
They get citizenship under de PNM... doh mind dey does still talk funny.
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nice.. gave me a post as to what we had in cabinet when manning was in charge..
war
Indians in d last PNM cabinet Narace/ Kangaloo/Parsanlal/Saith
dais it? hmm a wonder how di news paper eh print dat?...
war
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nice.. gave me a post as to what we had in cabinet when manning was in charge..
war
Indians in d last PNM cabinet Narace/ Kangaloo/Parsanlal/Saith
dais it? hmm a wonder how di news paper eh print dat?...
war
[/quote
Add Mustapha hamid I did 4 get he.
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nice.. gave me a post as to what we had in cabinet when manning was in charge..
war
Indians in d last PNM cabinet Narace/ Kangaloo/Parsanlal/Saith
dais it? hmm a wonder how di news paper eh print dat?...
war
[/quote
Mustapha
Add Mustapha hamid I did 4 get he.
Kennedy Swaratsingh ah 4get he
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Why are we supposed to have African representation in the cabinet? Furthermore how did they get to vote?
Because their arrival predates 1807.
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Why are we supposed to have African representation in the cabinet? Furthermore how did they get to vote?
Because their arrival predates 1807.
Can't believe that someone who knows the history of T&T could ask those ignorant questions!