I hope that I am not being to pushy, but allow me if you will to expound on how good T&T's BEST ever PM was.
His name was george Michael Chambers.
He faced an almost impossible task of diversifying T&T's post oil boom economy, his policies were very unpopular but ultimately laid the foundation for T&T's future economic boom and boon.
respected T&T economist Llyod Best referred to Chambers as a "BETTER Minister of finance than even Eric Williams."
Best furhter went on to say that Chambers: "Always knew his material and had a great sweep of the large strategic concerns of the country.''
he easily won his first election after succeeding Eric but lost by a huge margin the following election largely due to his unpopular but greaty needed economic reform policies and his attempts to divserify the economy. I believe that was in 86' he evn ost his own seat in that election.
he would later die of a heart attack while getting treatment for prostate cancer.
He served in many ministeries, a quiet man, but a man of great knowledge and a willingness to listen to others.
when the US came attempting to put pressure on T&T to join invading Grenada, Chambers stood up to them and rightly kept T&T out of that nonsense. he was often portrayed as being a dunce, but the truth was far from that, he was a highly intelligent and resourceful man.
It is MY personal beleif that this was the undoing of his political career as the US retaliated with severe and draconian measures to disrupt the T&T economy thru the IMF. T&T needed a 100million loan and the IMF said ok, but you have to impose certain measures. (can't remember them all so i looked it up)
1. 10% cut in salares on all pub;lic servants
2. slash all government subsidies to public utilities
3. elimination of personal tax reliefs
4. reducing the corporate tax rate from 49 1/2% to 45%
5. before this UWI was free, after this loan all students had to pay 10% of tuition costs
there were more measures that were forced upon T&T, this caused Chambers to lose the election badly, men like Panday had a field day.
It was clear case of US interference in the politics and policies of T&T, retaliation for saying hell no to the Grenadian invasion.
The rest is history, but he was a good PM, the best really.
PS Ellis Clarke, then President appointed Chambers over Kamal and Errol Mahabir....no one really knows why, the Pres himself said he changed his mind the night before the appointment...he did not say why though.
In 1973, Eric said he was resigning as political leader of the PNM, there was supposed to be a run off election between Kamal Mohammed and Karl hudson Phillips for political leader of the PNM, but williams reversed his decision and came back, this led to a rift between him and Karl....a calypso named Ah fraid karl by sparrow made the rounds. lol
Please also read:
http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bio_GeorgeChambers.html