Moontown

The speech delivered by UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at Rienzi Complex, Couva, yesterday, after the People’s Partnership won the 2010 general election:

Thank you Mr. Chairman,
Rienzi Complex, I am overwhelmed by your love!!!
I am humbled by your devotion!!!
I am honoured by your trust!!!

As Prime Minister-elect…………As Prime Minister-elect of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago…May I say how grateful I am by your overwhelming response to the People’s Partnership. And may I thank God for the guidance that has brought us here to this victory.
Over the past month, I have asked for your hand, today you gave me your hand in trust; you gave me your love, support and confidence. I am so deeply humbled.
The honour which you now accord me is without parallel. I accept it with deep gratitude and affection.

My brothers and sisters, your confidence today illuminates the theme of unity of all our peoples, to which we in the People’s Partnership have devoted our lives.
THIS is a Victory of the People.

NEW PM: Prime Minister-elect Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at Rienzi Complex, Couva, early this morning. Photo: MICHEAL BRUCE

You, the people, have won.
The bells of freedom have rung resoundingly across our great nation. You have freely chosen the government you want to lead you.
And the voice of the people is the voice of God.

The changing of the guard is an indicator that our democracy is still preserved and there can be nothing of greater importance for this nation.

And tonight you have good cause to celebrate albeit in moderation. You have earned the right to feel good about what you have achieved.
But let this not be a night we say Kamla or the People’s Partnership won, let it be said that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was secured.

Let history record that each of you took part in a process that ensured the will of the people was carried out.

Congratulations to the people of Trinidad and Tobago!
And I wish to make special mention of Tobago in our partnership.

No longer will you have to feel like the ones left out. Tobagonians, welcome to your future equal participation in the affairs of our twin island state!

This victory only occurred because we listened to people from all walks of life……………..

Tonight I give you my solemn pledge.
I pledge tonight that I will never stop paying attention to your needs
I will ensure that the leadership of the People’s Partnership responds accordingly. No-one will be left out.

Tonight I offer my hand to all those who did not feel assured to give us their confidence today.
I want to assure you that we will work for all of Trinidad and Tobago. We will work twice as hard to gain your faith and trust!!! As a nation WE WILL ALL RISE!!!

The unbelievers said that they were mere words, a slogan and a flamboyant phase. Even when our opponents tired to downgrade our clarion call to unity, we built our collective strength and character around our belief that WE WILL RISE!!

We were brave enough to face our challenges.

To each of you, I offer a hand of genuine partnership in the important task of rebuilding our nation.

Party loyalty to me after an election is of no more significance than the colour of your eyes or the texture of your hair or the colour of your skin.

To the supporters of the People’s Partnership I cannot begin to express how much your words of encouragement have inspired me.

This has been quite a journey for me and one which has brought so many people by my side along the way. So it would be difficult to individually thank them all but it would be remiss of me if I failed to mention the dedication and support of my husband Gregory and my children.

It is never easy on a family when your wife and mother juggles her roles with her political life and so tonight I pay tribute to them for the way they have endured these years with love and selflessness.

And to my niece, my special daughter, Lisa thank you my love for being there for me. Lisa endured and sufficed so much during this difficult time, she bore the greatest trauma that can face us, that of a victim of criminals. Lisa I thank you and love you…

To Usha, Roopchand, Arlene, Vishnu, Karen, Silvy and Reesa all the ladies and gentlemen at Siparia Constituency office and here at the Rienzi Complex.. for the late nights and the long hours, for the dedication and the resolve, .I thank you, and I love you all!

May I also say a special thanks to the members, supporters and well wishers of my party the glorious United National Congress!!

January 24 seems so long ago. It was 120 days ago that you gave me your sacred trust to lead our great party. Now I am so humbled to have delivered to you the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago!!

May I also thank all our UNC soldiers who laboured in the vineyards for the past decade during our most difficult days in opposition, all our members and officers who worked tirelessly to keep our party alive and keep our flag flying high and proud.
I am so grateful for your work and sacrifice that has brought to this historic moment. I love you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I express my gratitude as well, to the founder and former leader the Hon. Basdeo Panday for his years of service and dedication to the cause of justice, equality and national unity. As Mr. Panday celebrates his 77 birthday tomorrow/today, from Rienzi Complex, we wish you a most pleasant and joyful day in the glory of the rising sun!!!!

But there can be no greater gratitude tonight than that which I express to all those who believed in themselves and this great nation of ours.

Because of you we now stand on the cusp of a great moment in our history, one in which we begin the task of bringing people together to rebuild Trinidad and Tobago to make it safer, cleaner, more truly progressive than it has ever been before.

It will not be easy but the process is going to be as rewarding as it is challenging. And I begin that process from this very moment.

In fact, I can admit to you now that I had started working on what needed to be done before Day One.
Tonight, not tomorrow, tonight, I begin the task of selecting the most capable, competent, committed patriots to be a part of the leadership in the country’s various Ministries. And I will do so without fear or favour.

There will be continuity in all sectors of governance with a greater emphasis on consultation, accountability and retention of all critical policies that will be needed to ensure administrative and economic stability in transition.

There will not be the old politics of dismantling programmes and projects and plastering of new names just to stake a political claim, rather, there will be responsible, collaborative and proactive governance to provide the equitable representation and administration that every citizen, regardless of affiliation or persuasion deserves.

Obviously, the process will require a level of consultation with the members of the People’s Partnership and your representatives, and I am confident that we will share the same perspectives on what is required to get the job done effectively and immediately.

I look ahead to the next few years with enthusiasm and great expectation. And I can assure you that I will lead a government filled with compassion and concern.

The campaign promises must now become government policies. I can guarantee you a government that is accountable and transparent. You can hold me to the promise of the change which you so positively voted for tonight.

As I heard the results coming in and saw the trend I knew the time had come. A new page had been turned in our nation’s history and the responsibility to each of you is now on my shoulders. I will not let you down.

I bring to my leadership not just political experience and government experience but I also carry into the office of the Prime Ministership the nurturing nature of a mother and grandmother and I will look after you all as my own.

And when someone asked me what was the first thing I would do as Prime Minister I instinctively replied “To visit a few Children’s Homes and Schools.” And having said that, it is what I intend to do. And I guess I said that because this is where the change must all begin.

In closing I wish at this juncture to pay special tribute to the Hon. Patrick Manning, Political Leader of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) who has been a most worthy and formidable opponent.

Whatever are our differences in ideology and policy Mr. Manning has given over 30 years of his life to public service. While we may not agree on approaches and programs, we reserve and defend the right to disagree.

I thank him for his service to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and wish him all success in his future endeavours, I am almost certain that we have not heard the last of such an indefatigable political figure.

To the Candidates of the People’s Partnership, those in the East West, North and South, those in Central and in Tobago, gird your loins, ban your bellies, the work is before us now.

And so as we celebrate tonight, let this be a call to duty, let this be a defining moment in our nations life, a time of personal commitment as we all, you, you, you and you, and I, begin the work anew towards the change we all need, to build a better country for our children and their children .
Tonight, however, I quite understand that for all of you that it begins with a nationwide celebration. But please, let us not lose a single of you tonight through recklessness and carelessness. Be responsible. Don’t drink and drive. Call the Arrive Alive team. Get home safely. I love you all and so do those who are waiting upon your return.

May God bless you all and may God bless our nation. (Trinidad Express)

Seaga had invited popular artists Mavado and Etana to perform at his party but plans were thrown in a spin after violence broke out in sections of the Corporate Area and St Catherine since last week.

The violence is concentrated in the hotbed community of Tivoli Gardens which is under siege from a joint police/military team which has bombarded the area in search of reputed don, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Tivoli Gardens was built by Seaga in the late 1960’s. The area was originally a slum known as ‘Back a Wall’.

The original residents were forced out and replaced them with Seaga’s supporters.

Coke’s father, Lester Coke, popularly called ‘Jim Brown’ was a main political activist in Seaga’s bid for power in the 1980 elections which ended with more than 800 murders.

‘Jim Brown’ was mysteriously burnt to death in a cell at the General Penitentiary, now called the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, days before he was to be extradited to the United States to face drug charges.

Seaga, the longest serving member of parliament, represented the constituency of West Kingston for more than 40 years. Tivoli Gardens is the seat of power for the constituency.

Current Prime Minister Bruce Golding is now the parliamentary representative for West Kingston.

By COREY ROBINSON, Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com

Gunmen have carried out a string of gun attacks in sections of St Catherine.

Within the last few hours, three men were killed by gunmen in the McCooks Pen community. One person was killed in Waterford.

There were also reports of a shoot-out between gunmen and police in the March Pen Road area of Spanish Town.

The incidents are the latest in a string of murders and fire-bombings which are being carried out in St Catherine.

The three men killed today have been identified as Peter McBean, 39; Dwayne Murray, 23 and Robert Sankey, 26. A 14-year-old has been shot an injured. His condition is uncertain.

The men were all at a bar in McCooks Pen when gunmen in a white car opened fire hitting them, before fleeing.

Murders have also been reported in Braeton, Waterford, and Newlands in Portmore.

TIVOLI Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is still at large despite a major security dragnet imposed on the volatile community of Tivoli Gardens during a two-day operation by the security forces.

National Security Minister Dwight Nelson made the announcement during a press briefing at Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s official residence, Vale Royal, this afternoon.

“Up to the last briefing I got the answer is no,” Nelson told journalists.

The security forces stormed the community in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant on Coke, who is wanted by United States authorities on gun and drug running charges.

Official police reports are that 26 civilians, two police officers and a soldier have been killed during the outbreak of violence. Seven cops and four Jamaica Defence Force soldiers were also injured.

Army fatigues, ballistic vests, binoculars and a cache of guns and ammunition were recovered during the operation.

Colonel Rocky Meade, head of communications of the Jamaica Defence Force shot down claims that soldiers were burning bodies inside Tivoli Gardens.

“Based on our training I would be very surprised if those reports were true,” Meade said.

He said the security forces used the necessary force to repel the threat posed to the state.

“The JDF owns no fighter jets but I can assure you that we used no more force than was necessary to protect our troops,” Meade said. (Jamaica Observer)

The Sisserou parrot.

(DNO) For the first time in world history, Dominica’s Sisserou Parrot – which has been in captivity – has produced offspring.

Forestry and wildlife officials are elated after several years of failed attempts.

Assistance Forest Officer Steve Durand said such an occurrence is rare in the world today.

“We should be proud because the Sisserou is for the first time in Dominica and the world that an imperial parrot has given birth. I am really expected and amidst all of the negativity; this is a moment for us to be happy,” he said. (Dominica News)

(DNO) In what should have been a day of celebration for the village of San San Sauveur on Monday, turned out in tragedy after a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a home, killed three members of a family including a toddler.

The bodies of Harrison Stout, 51, Jael Stout, 5, and Flora Stoute, 75, were pulled from the rubble sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.  A fourth member of the family survived the incident.

The landslide, which occurred at about 8: 45 a.m. , buried a second house but no one was home at the time.

Villagers, including Harrison, were preparing to celebrate Fete Isidore on Monday. (Dominica News)

CRIMINAL gangs aligned to the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) in the Maxfield Avenue area of Whitfield Town are being paid up to $100,000 per day to join in the mounting unrest in the Corporate Area sparked by resistance to the security forces’ attempt to arrest Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

According to men claiming to be members of the gangs, they are being paid by Coke, who is currently battling, in the Supreme Court, his pending extradition to the United States on drug- and gun-running charges.

Sections of the West Kingston area of the Jamaican capital have been plunged into unrest since last week Tuesday after it was announced that a warrant had been issued for Coke’s arrest.

Barricades were immediately mounted around Coke’s stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, followed later by a mass demonstration, by mostly female residents, appealing for the security forces to “leave Dudus alone”.

Police officers with expertise on gang operations told the Observer in March, two months before the current violence erupted, that thugs aligned to the PNP would join forces with the Tivoli hoodlums, who are affiliated with the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, should an attempt be made to take Coke into custody.

Signs of that cross-party alliance emerged on Sunday when gunmen from the Jones Town area, close to Maxfield Avenue, blocked a section of Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of the St Andrew Technical High School, as the security forces surrounded Tivoli Gardens before launching their offensive to capture Coke.

Yesterday, as that operation was in full swing, heavily armed men were busy blocking sections of Maxfield Avenue, from Wellington Road. Heavy gunfire was reported in the vicinity of Fitzgerald Avenue and the lower section of Maxfield Avenue where a woman was shot and injured.

A house was reportedly torched along Whitfield Avenue.

“A whole heap a gunshot a fire down Whitfield Avenue,” a resident told the Observer yesterday.

Residents have also reported that the heavily armed men are making no effort to conceal their weapons, as they walk around in broad daylight, ready to unleash mayhem, despite the imposition of a limited State of Emergency. (Jamaica Observer)

Melee takes place at Swaratsingh’s office

ST JOSEPH detectives are investigating an incident in which an Express reporter was physically assaulted by two security guards on duty at the St Joseph constituency office of the PNM’s Kennedy Swaratsingh yesterday.

The incident occurred around 12.35 p.m., as reporter Akile Simon and photographer Anisto Alves entered the Eastern Main Road, St Joseph, compound and informed the guards they were there to speak with Swaratsingh, the MP for the area.

According to Simon, as he and Alves were about the enter the main office, a man dressed in a blue T-shirt with a walkie-talkie came outside and pointed in their direction, saying, ’We not talking to no reporters. We don’t want no media persons here on the compound so all yuh get out of here.’

Simon said as he attempted to explain his presence at the office, the man demanded that he and Alves remove themselves from the compound.

He explained that he had a previous conversation with Swaratsingh over the phone and based on that discussion, went to speak with Swaratsingh or Sharon Felix, the MP’s office manager. He said a man, whom he identified as an employee at Swaratsingh’s office, repeatedly shouted that he and Alves were trespassing.

Simon said he explained they could not be possibly trespassing, since the office was a public place and citizens, as a sign outside the building stated, could access the office Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

’It was like a direct attack launched against us because they constantly kept saying that they didn’t want any media on the compound. However, I don’t believe this was in any way orchestrated by Swaratsingh. We didn’t go there looking for trouble, but to investigate allegations relating to the election process within the St Joseph constituency,’ Simon said.

’He (the guard) continued shouting at us and saying that ’we don’t want no media here. We not talking to any media.’ Two other guards surrounded me and grab me by my shirt and started to shove me down the steps. I held on to a railing to avoid losing my balance. One of them then cuffed me in the back threatening to arrest me.’

He added that while this was taking place, he raised his voice asking that the officers take their hands off him.

PCs Williams and Headly, from the St Joseph CID, eventually arrived at the scene, but the two security guards involved in the incident had fled the compound.

Lizanne Bolan, an attorney with the PNM, Simon said, later emerged from the office and apologised for the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

When the Express placed a call to Swaratsingh’s cellphone, a man who identified himself as Insp Silman, said Swaratsingh was not available for comment. (Trinidad Express)

All-rounder Darren Sammy sits on the field alone after the West Indies lost to South Africa in the second one-day international at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday. - AP

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (AP): All-rounder Darren Sammy hit 58 not out off 24 balls yesterday, but South Africa held off a late West Indies surge to score a 17-run victory in the second one-day cricket international at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Sammy blasted six sixes and two fours to belatedly energise the hosts’ pursuit of South Africa’s formidable total of 300-5 off 50 overs.

But West Indies eventually fell short at 283 all out off 48.1 overs.

Dwayne Bravo topscored for the West Indies with 74 off 70 deliveries before Sammy’s assault. Opener Dale Richards struck 51 off 85 balls.

Pacer Morne Morkel led the visitors with 3-58.

South Africa’s total had been built around Hashim Amla’s 92 off 95 balls. Jacques Kallis, in his 300th one-dayer, contributed a solid 85 off 89 deliveries. A.B. de Villiers (41) and captain Graeme Smith (37) also supported well.

Kieron Pollard, with 2-39, was the best of the West Indian bowlers.

The West Indies chase failed to gather momentum early on despite captain Chris Gayle (26) sharing a 40-run opening stand with Richards.

Gayle, who hit three fours and a six, eventually slapped a drive straight to extra cover off Morkel.

The experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan retired hurt soon afterwards to further stall the hosts.

The dismissal of Narsingh Deonarine (7) and Richards left the West Indies struggling at 119-3 in the 28th over.

But Bravo and fellow Trinidadian Pollard shared an enterprising fourth-wicket stand of 63 to lift home spirits.

tilt the balance

Morkel returned to tilt the balance to the visitors with the wickets of Pollard and Jerome Taylor in one over.

Pollard holed out to long off where Johan Botha held a fantastic low catch while Taylor lost his off stump.

The runout of Denesh Ramdin further dented the West Indians, who slipped to 200-6 in the 41st over.

Bravo and Sammy restored some hope in a stand of 36 off 20 balls.

But when Bravo departed, slapping Dale Steyn straight to deep cover, the result seemed a foregone conclusion.

Sarwan’s return lasted just one delivery as he edged Botha to the wicketkeeper at 236-8 and leave Sammy with just Ravi Rampaul and Nikita Miller for company.

But Sammy had other ideas during a brutal assault that rattled the South Africans.

With 78 runs needed from 42 balls, he blasted pace ace Steyn for

two sixes and continued his remarkable hitting against Johan Botha and Morkel.

He arrived at his fifty off 20 balls, the fastest ever by a West Indian, beating Brian Lara’s 23-ball effort against Canada at the 2003 World Cup at Centurion.

Sammy, who was dropped on two by Alviro Petersen at backward point off Morkel, ultimately fell just short as both his partners were run out in the frantic final stages.

Earlier, Smith and Amla set the platform for South Africa’s formidable total with an opening stand of 89 in 16 overs.

Left-hander Smith, dropped when 29, was eventually bowled behind his back sweeping at left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.

But Amla found another solid ally in Kallis and the pair added a further 79 for the second wicket.

Amla, who hit 102 in the opening match victory at the same venue on Saturday, was closing in on his third one-day ton when he clipped Taylor to midwicket.

But South Africa continued to coast along as Kallis and de Villiers put on 71.

Pollard removed both in the final ten overs and Taylor added the cheap scalp of Alviro Petersen.

De Villiers holed out to long off while Kallis, who struck four fours, miscued into the off side.

SCOREBOARD South Africa Innings

G. Smith b Miller 37 H. Amla c Richards b Taylor 92 J. Kallis c Richards b Pollard 85 A.B. de Villiers c Taylor b Pollard 41 D. Miller not out 26 A. Petersen lbw b Taylor 1 R. McLaren not out 8 Extras: (B1, LB4, W5) 10 Total: (for 5 wickets) 300

Overs:50.

Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-168, 3-239, 4-276, 5-278.

Did not bat: Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Bowling: Taylor 9-0-50-2, Rampaul 8-0-58-0 (1w), Bravo 10-0-63-0 (1w), Miller 2.5-0-19-1 (1w), Gayle 7.1-0-41-0 (1w), Sammy 5-0-25-0 (1w), Pollard 8-0-39-2.

West Indies innings

C. Gayle c McLaren b Morkel 26 D. Richards b Kallis 51 R. Sarwan c wk de Villiers b Botha 6 N. Deonarine c Miller b Tsotsobe 7 D. Bravo c Kallis b Steyn 74 K. Pollard c Botha b Morkel 29 J. Taylor b Morkel 6 D. Ramdin run out (Miller) 2 D. Sammy not out 58 R. Rampaul run out (McLaren) 5 N. Miller run out (Smith) 0 Extras: (B1, LB6, W12) 19 Total: (all out, 48.1 overs) 283

Overs: 48.1.

Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-77, 3-119, 4-182, 5-189, 6-200, 7-236, 8-236, 9-283, 10-283.

Bowling: Steyn 10-0-59-1 (3w), Tsotsobe 9-1-53-1 (1w), Morkel 9.1-2-58-3 (3w), McLaren 7-1-41-0 (4w), Botha 10-0-58-1, Kallis 3-0-7-1 (1w).

Result: South Africa won by 17 runs.

Toss: South Africa.

Series: South Africa lead five-match series 2-0.

Umpires: Daryl Harper, Australia, and Clyde Duncan, Guyana. (Jamaica Gleaner)