Moontown

A woman rides on a street vendor’s cart as she makes her way under heavy rain at Parade, Kingston, yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

A man walks past soldiers on patrol Friday near the burned-out Coronation Market that had been used as the forward base of operations for the army in Kingston.

A cyclist crosses Orange Street in downtown Kingston on Thursday as many businesses remained shuttered in the wake of violence.

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Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter

Business was slow in downtown Kingston on Thursday when The Gleaner visited the commercial district, and Friday’s rains promised to continue putting a damper on buzzing trade that is the heartbeat of the capital.

The majority of stores in the area remained shuttered on Thursday, as the business zone - known for bustling crowds, discounted prices and streets awash with boisterous hawkers - was a shadow of itself.

But as fears about safety began to recede, shoppers were still involved in intriguing discussions about the gunfights between the security forces and thugs in Kingston.

On Thursday, there were more store attendants than customers, with employees milling around with little else to do but talk.

Worst slowdown ever

In Azan’s Supercentre, located at South Parade, only two persons were on the hunt for houseware items when a Gleaner team was there.

Christopher Walker, store manager, said it would take some time before the shopping district would be back on its feet and at its best.

“It’s the worst time that we have ever gone through. I’m trying to revive it to bring downtown back,” he said.

While Walker expects weekend sales to be slow, he said downtown Kingston holds an iconic status in Jamaica’s psyche. He was optimistic that the shopping district would regain its glory in another three or four months.

“I have been here for years and downtown is downtown. People come from all parts of the country to come here and shop, and people expect us to open, and we are trying our best,” he said.

Joseph Matalon, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, an umbrella group, acknowledged that some businesses remained closed out of concern about security. He said he was in the process of compiling data about the dollar damage of the business shutdown.

Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President Milton Samuda had initially estimated losses at $100 million, but that figure seems but a fraction of the money the merchandising zone would churn out had there been no lockdown.

“They are concerned about their staff and how they make their way to and from work,” Matalon said of business people.

“We hope that tomorrow is better and we will see a better turnout tomorrow.”

Wayney, the only shoe vendor with his wares out on South Parade on Thursday, concurred with Matalon, saying he was upbeat that sales would improve in the coming weeks.

“The excitement wha’ you used to see a town, it a take some time before it get back. You nah go really see nobody down ya yet, but it a come,” he said. (Jamaica Gleaner)

- mark.beckford@gleanerjm.com

Packages with pieces of steel packed with explosives. The police say this could cause injury or death when detonated.

A package filled with pieces of steel and packed with explosives reportedly found by the military in Tivoli Gardens.

A liquid petrol gas cylinder with explosives affixed, concealed behind a barricade. According to the police, this could cause loss of lives if exploded.

A container of explosives with a detonating cord concealed in a bag.

A cardboard box packed with explosive material. A detonating cord was affixed and placed in a car tyre.

Packages of explosives combined with pieces of steel placed in a bag for concealment which, if triggered, would have a devastating effect.

Children on Bond Street in west Kingston seem relieved yesterday as they posed for a picture. This area was inaccessible earlier this week due to a police-military operation - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer .

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Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter

THE NUMBER of guns found, as well as the sophistication of the resistance which the security forces encountered in west Kingston, were revealed yesterday during a press conference at the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) headquarters at Up Park Camp in St Andrew.

A tale of a well-fortified Tivoli Gardens community was presented yesterday, with the security forces painting a picture, with the aid of photographs and videos, that criminal elements in the downtown Kingston enclave utilised several methods to present hazards for law enforcement.

Pictures and videos obtained through surveillance by the military of several checkpoints, improvised explosive devices (IED), men walking around with guns, men setting up firing positions, booby-trapped barricades and gullies inside the community leading to the Kingston Harbour added to the aura in the general public of Tivoli Gardens as a well-organised criminal operation.

“The insertion into the area was not going to be a simple task, as the high level of fortification and number of firing positions seen inside the area would have made it difficult. This, coupled with the large-scale barricading which was done to the main entries, made the military task a more arduous one,” Major Richard Blackwood, civil-military officer, said.

He explained that it took up to three hours for the security forces to move over 200 metres - a journey which would have taken three minutes - because of the gunfire from criminal elements.

Blackwood said the military had to plan carefully to counter these threats, and this included the use of explosives to gain entrance through the wall into the community.

The number of firearms found in west Kingston now stands at 22. This is 16 more than the number recovered by the security forces on Thursday.

Updated figures

This updated figure was revealed at a press conference held at the Jamaica Defence Force headquarters at Up Park Camp, St Andrew, yesterday.

It was also revealed that the subject of the invasion, Michael Christopher Coke, otherwise called ‘Dudus’, was still on the run, meaning that the operation was still an ongoing one.

“The very latest we have on him we wouldn’t share with you; but we can tell you it’s an ongoing operation. We are following every lead that we have and, as we speak now, there are several coordinated operations going on around Jamaica based on intelligence items coming in to us,” Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington said.

The number of dead still remained at 73 persons, with two being females. Commissioner Ellington indicated that some of the men were dressed as women, apparently in reference to residents’ claims that more women had been killed in the operation.

No secret burning

Commissioner Ellington also reiterated that there had been no secretive burning or burying of bodies. He also said a decision was taken on Wednesday not to bury the bodies. He also welcomed anyone to go to the May Pen Cemetery to examine the grounds to determine whether fresh graves had been dug.

“What happened is that there were several bodies that were so badly decomposed that the undertakers told us that they could not take them into storage, they had to be buried early,” said Ellington.

“As a normal procedure in Jamaica, arrangements were made for those bodies to be collected by the undertakers. They were put in coffins; they were taken into the cemetery; we brought the pathologist in; autopsies were performed on the spot; blood samples were taken; photographs were taken,” he said.

Bodies at madden’s

Commissioner Ellington said the bodies were being held at Madden’s funeral home in Kingston, at the Spanish Town morgue, and at an undisclosed location in Kingston.

He said post-mortems would be conducted early next week.

The police chief said that the residents would be able to inspect photographs next week to identify if their relatives were among the number of civilians killed in the operation.

He also revealed that restrictions had been lifted on the residents in Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town and they were now able to walk around.

The police also said of the 708 men who were detained in west Kingston, 200 have since been released.

This means that just over 500 remain in detention at the National Arena, where they are being processed. (Jamaica Gleaner)

A woman tends to a girl having a bag juice treat yesterday as journalists went into the Tivoli battle zone for the first time since last week. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer

Coffins with people killed during clashes days ago at the May Pen Cemetery nearby Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, Friday. Relatives have criticised the security forces for preparing to bury their loved ones without their knowledge. The army, however, yesterday denied that any of the bodies had been buried. - AP

A dog barks at Jamaica Defence Force soldiers on patrol in Tivoli Gardens, which gunmen used as a base to challenge the power of the State. - Norman Grindley/ChiefPhotographer

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Laura Redpath & Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporters

Children in Tivoli Gardens and other Kingston communities could be psychologically scarred by days of gun battles, a clinical psychologist told The Gleaner on Tuesday. Dr Karen Richards said children struggling to come to grips with the graphic violence suffer from behavioural shifts.

She also said they may become fearful and angry.

“The children could have brief emotional and behavioural problems, which is normal. They could start having disturbed sleeping patterns, changes in appetite, clingy attitudes, and they could even go back to behaviour that is younger than their ages,” Richards said.

Regressive behaviours among grown children, such as bed-wetting, crying and thumb-sucking could become commonplace in battlefield communities.

The outbreak of violence across the western end of Jamaica’s capital was sparked by an assault on Tivoli Gardens, as the security forces sought to arrest Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, a reputed Mafioso who the United States wants extradited to face gunrunning and drug-trafficking charges.

Security personnel conducted house-to-house searches to purge the community of thugs who barricaded the accused don’s mini-republic.

Dozens of civilians, including alleged enemy combatants, have been slain.

Richards said parents and other family members in Tivoli Gardens and surrounding communities may be having a hard time explaining the gravity of the situation to children.

She also said the events which unfolded may also result in increased levels of aggressiveness.

Confusion

Richards noted that the exchange of gunfire between thugs and the security forces could cause children to have a sense of confusion about the ligitimacy of the symbols of law and order, leading children to become fearful of the police.

“I wonder if some of those children will begin to see armed forces as the bad guys,” Richards said. “The parents, in dealing with the situation, should explain who is the protector and the threat,” she said.

“I’ve come across children who come from some really difficult communities that are exposed to gunfire all the time and police raids, and they’ve become very frightened of the police.”

Hostile relationship

Tivoli Gardens has had a hostile relationship with the security forces for decades, as gunmen have used the densely populated area as a base from which to launch attacks - against lawmen and rival gangs - even from high-rise buildings.

Michelle Robinson, a counselling psychologist, said parents should be first counselled about coping with the situation before helping their children.

Robinson added that schools and parent-teacher associations should join forces to assist parents in comforting children.

Richards also urged parents to give children time to heal; limit their access to gratuitous information; monitor television-viewing time; and seek intervention from other family members.(Jamaica Gleaner)

- laura.redpath@gleanerjm.com, nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com

Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com

Traffic jams and flooding will be two of the pressing issues that Jack Warner, newly appointed Works and Transport Minister, will be tackling.

Warner was sworn in as a Minister in Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet yesterday at a ceremony at Knowsley, Port of Spain.

Warner, the first member to take the oath as a Minister, was given the portfolio previously held by former PNM Government Minister, Colm Imbert.

Warner said he will begin work by trying to alleviate traffic, starting with the Priority Bus Route, which he said should be made a one-way during morning and evening periods.

The Minister also said he will also be reviewing contracts signed during Imbert’s tenure.

’I have in my possession some copies of some contracts that were signed mere days before the election. In fact I have a copy of one that was signed one day after the election. Those of course I will have to review and revisit and those are the first things that I will have to tackle with the permanent secretary….any contact that was signed within the last two months will have to be reviewed, especially those that were signed after the election,’ said Warner.

He said the billion-dollar rapid rail plan which the PNM Government had envisioned was not a top priority for this country.

Asked whether his responsibilities as Vice President of FIFA would affect his work, Warner said he is capable of doing the job.

He said he will resign from various committees which demand his time.

’I can attend meetings, I can remain the Vice President but I will give up the committees of which I am chairman,’ said Warner.

He expressed confidence in Anil Roberts as the new Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs. (Trinidad Express)

Ezra Stuart Dominica

SOUTH AFRICA’s stranglehold over the winless West Indies continued yesterday after the hosts gave yet another shambolic batting display.

The South Africans clinched the five-match Digicel One-day International series with a comfortable 67-run victory at Windsor Park for an unbeatable 3-0 lead.

It was the Proetas’ 15th consecutive victory over the Windies, who once again squandered a chance to snap South Africa’s six-year unbeaten run in ODIs between the teams after dismissing the visitors for a hardly imposing 224 in 47.2 overs.

But even though the target wasn’t as many as the first two ODIs in Antigua, the West Indies gave another inauspicious performance, falling way short for a meagre 157 in 38 overs.

Opener Dale Richards’ 30-ball knock of 28, which contained three fours and a six, was the top score.

Fast bowler Morne Morkel again spearheaded South Africa’s bowling with four for 21, while seamer Charl Langeveldt supported with three for 30 runs.

Earlier, in-form middle order batsman AB de Villiers shored up the South African innings with a solid 80-ball 70, which included two fours and a six, after they won the toss and batted.

Captain Graeme Smith (29) and the free-scoring Hashim Amla (34) got South Africa away to a breezy start, posting a half-century opening stand in nine overs.

Jacques Kallis kept the early momentum going with two fours and a six in 31 off 41 balls but the West Indian bowlers manfully stuck to their task, especially in the second half of the innings.

Lanky left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn bowled Amla in his second over and after Dwayne Bravo trapped Smith leg before wicket at 91-2, he removed Kallis, courtesy a low catch at point by Sammy.

De Villiers, who got the player of the match award, and Alviro Petersen added 40 runs in the next ten overs as the home team bowlers, with the fielders supporting admirably, did not concede a wide or no-ball while making inroads in to the middle and lower order.

Petersen’s 31-ball grind for 16 runs was ended when he attempted a steer and played on to Pollard, who later came back to claim two more wickets to end with three for 27.

After David Miller gloved a bouncer from Jerome Taylor to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, Johan Botha joined de Villiers and featured in a 35-run sixth-wicket stand.

But Ravi Rampaul, after going for 31 in his first six overs, came back and bowled his final four overs for 14 runs.

He forced Botha to retire hurt when a lifting delivery deflected from his gloves to strike him over the left eye and followed up by yorking Dale Steyn.

Pollard continued the example set by Rampaul and delivered a wicket maiden, having Ryan McLaren well caught in the covers by Richards after he had missed a low return catch.

In the next over, Benn ran out de Villiers at the bowler’s end with a direct throw after the batsman was too late in getting back into his crease, while mulling over a second run.

This effectively ended South Africa’s hopes of a 250-plus total but the saying ’runs on the board’ wasn’t lost on them.

With the pitch offering generous bounce, the South African pace quartet of Steyn, Morkel, McLaren and Kallis peppered the West Indian batsmen with a barrage of short deliveries.

Apart from pulled sixes by openers Chris Gayle and Richards and another by Darren Sammy, there was no counter-attack from the usually cavalier Caribbean batsmen, who surrendered their wickets meekly. (Trinidad Express)

Ria Taitt Political Editor

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has instructed her National Security Minister, John Sandy, that his first act be to provide security for former prime minister Patrick Manning.

Speaking shortly after the oath-taking ceremony for ministers, ministers of State and parliamentary secretaries at Knowsley House, Port of Spain, yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said her directive to Sandy was not a reaction to events at Balisier House on Thursday evening when Manning faced a hostile reception from an angry crowd of People’s National Movement (PNM) supporters and had to be assisted by officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB). (See Page 6)

Explaining the rationale for her decision, Persad-Bissessar said yesterday: ’Over 200,000 persons voted for him. We respect that. And so I have asked the minister to ratify that and for some vehicle and security to be provided to former prime minister Manning.’

’Mr Manning did not ask for security. Not at all, not at all. He did not even mention it at all,’ she said in response to questions.

But the new prime minister’s first words of warning to her Cabinet during yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony were an apparent response to the perceived leadership style of the former prime minister.

’There must be no room for arrogance. We must be faithful to a leadership style that is firm but humble, passionate and impatient for great achievements, but ever conscious of the correct procedures… Keep connected to the people,’ she said.

Persad-Bissessar added: ’I pledge to you all that I will be a leader who…listens, and that my decision will only be arrived at after collaboration and always, in the interest of what best serves Trinidad and Tobago. There is no room for personal egos, no time for personal agenda and no opportunity for self-glorification. This is not about us, it is about the people. And they have the power to dismiss us anytime.’

Persad-Bissessar also went out of her way to point out that she had instructed the Coat of Arms be taken off the official vehicle in which she as prime minister is being driven. Manning had broken with tradition in this respect, placing the Coat of Arms, normally reserved only for the president’s vehicle, on the prime minister’s official vehicle, a move which was thought to be illegal as well as perceived to be egoistic. Persad-Bissessar had promised to reverse this act during her election campaigning.

She said yesterday: ’I kept my first promise. Prior to being sworn in, I came (was driven) in PCL something. When the vehicle pulled up I stopped and looked outside of the vehicle. When I saw it was PCL, I got in. And after I was sworn in, they brought another vehicle, and before I got into the vehicle, I also stopped and looked at the number plate. And I was very happy to see there was no Coat of Arms and it was PM 1.’

There was applause at the ceremony when she announced this.

Immediately before yesterday’s ceremony, Persad-Bissessar had met with Manning at the prime minister’s office. And immediately after yesterday’s ceremony, she held her first Cabinet meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Persad-Bissessar’s 26-member Cabinet is the same size as the last Manning Cabinet. It comprises six women and 20 men. All 29 elected members have been assigned portfolios, which means there will be no back bench in the House of Representatives. A speaker will be drawn from outside of this elected group, ensuring the People’s Partnership maintains its comfortable 17-seat majority over the Opposition PNM.

Persad-Bissessar said the talent and commitment of the group in her Government could not be denied. ’One of the hallmarks of our Government must be that we serve every citizen with the same dedication, regardless of their political affiliation. And we must never display any kind of party symbol during the conduct of our work as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, in or out of Parliament,’ she said.

She added: ’Transparency and accountability must be evident in all Government matters… Honesty must be one of the given qualifications of anyone who hopes to serve the people… Disregard which party any qualified individual comes from or what ethnic group or religion or anything else that defines them in any way other than their competency and genuine commitment to serve the people.’

Persad-Bissessar told members of her Government their job expectations began on Monday night, and they had some catching up to do already. She also pledged that local government would be held when due-by October 11.(Trinidad Express)

Akile Simon

HOURS after being sworn in as the country’s Minister of National Security yesterday, retired Brigadier John Sandy called an emergency meeting with all heads of divisions at the Ministry of National Security in Port of Spain to discuss ways of dealing with the country’s crime problem.

Sandy, who is the 16th minister to be appointed to the critical portfolio since the country gained independence in 1962, was administered the oath of office at Knowsley House, Port of Spain, by President George Maxwell Richards, in the presence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, other Cabinet colleagues and specially invited guests yesterday afternoon.

Around 6 p.m., Sandy arrived at the Ministry of National Security in his capacity as head of the ministry. He was met by a senior member of the T&T Defence Force, who escorted him to the second floor of the building where the high-profile meeting took place for several hours.

Among those at the meeting were Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes, who is acting as police commissioner in the absence of James Philbert, who is out of the country on official police business; Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Edmond Dillon; Prisons Commissioner John Rougier; Head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management Col George Robinson; and head of the Special Anti-Crime Unit of T&T Brigadier Peter Joseph.

The 63-year-old Sandy, who retired from the military in 2002 after 36 years, was given a mandate by Persad-Bissessar to develop a crime-fighting plan to deal with the increase in murders and serious crimes.

While making their way into the National Security Ministry yesterday, Brigadier Dillon and Col Robinson said they were happy to work with their new minister.

’I feel elated. I feel great and look forward for some exciting times,’ Dillon told the Express.

Sandy is the second retired Brigadier to be appointed to lead such a crucial ministry. Brigadier Joseph Theodore headed the ministry under the Basdeo Panday administration from December 1995 to December 2000. (Trinidad Express)

Donstan Bonn

Trinidad and Tobago has just witnessed one of its most significant general elections. It was historic in that the nation saw a record 1,040,127 registered voters, with 722,322, just over 70 percent, voting on May 24 - another record.

The election also saw the five-party People’s Partnership coalition arrangement capturing 29 of the 41 seats, paving the way for its leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to be sworn in as the country’s first-ever woman Prime Minister.

All this was possible because we are a democratic society. Our Constitution and our Westminster system of politics allow for free and fair elections in which more than one party is involved and the voting public chooses the one they believe is best suited for governance.

The big question is: If representative democracies, like what exists in Trinidad and Tobago, work reasonably well, why are there still numerous expressions of discontent by the electorate?

Firstly, representative democracies are deficient in many aspects, all of which fundamentally stem from the limited role they allow citizens in governance. If the decisions and policies framed by elected representatives ultimately impact upon the lives of the citizens, then why should they not have a say in the policy-making decisions?

Representatives are elected by the people in order to ensure that the will of the people is satisfied. In reality, however, most decisions are imposed on those affected without consulting them.

Citizens are left with little power to directly influence how their representatives think, act, govern and administrate. Power is literally transferred from the people to the elected representatives.

If democracy finds its main justification in its unique sensitivity to public opinion through open debate and voting - in short, popular participation - then more participation means more democracy. If we think democracy in general is a good thing we cannot object to having more of it.

Therefore, the referendum-a direct democracy tool- has a valid place in our system of governance.

A referendum is an instrument through which citizens may be consulted on or have a direct vote on issues, policies, or matters of public interest. It plays an integral role in nullifying the deficiencies experienced in representative democracies as voting is primarily done in favour of or against a piece of legislation, a matter of public interest or contentious issue, in contrast to supporting a “party” or political candidate at a national election.

Nirad Tewarie, politician and political scientist, says the referendum is “a useful tool in democracy once it is structured properly. It gives the people the sense that they are continuously a part of the process of governance. The People’s Partnership has put forward several proposals on constitutional reform and it would be a grave error not to enact meaningful reform after proper consultation.”

In the quest for good governance, the reality is representative democracy alone will not lead us down that path. Participatory or involved democracy has a significant role to play.

With the previous government’s vision of realising first world status by the year 2020, and with the current regime left with the task of ensuring such, referendum is a must.

With a first world vision should come a first world thinking.

donstan.bonn@trinidadexpress.com

Akile Simon

RESIDENTS of Mohammed and Maharaj Streets, off Pasea Road in Tunapuna, have welcomed newly-elected Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to their community as their temporary neighbour.

Even though many of the residents only recently found out that the leader of the Government is actually their next-door neighbour, they expressed their gratitude that Persad-Bissessar had chosen their community in which to live, at least for now.

The Express visited the area yesterday and noticed several heavily-armed police officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch patrolling the compound’s yard, which has two concrete homes, along the southern side of Enal Ragbirsingh Street, which is accessible from Maharaj and Mohammed Streets. There are no other houses on Enal Ragbirsingh Street.

Opposite the house is a vacant lot of land which is used as a temporary carpark for Persad-Bissessar’s security detail, a neighbour, who asked not to be identified, told the Express. The resident explained that they have not been inconvenienced by Persad-Bissessar’s presence in the area.

’The roads are not blocked off and we could access it just as if she is not here,’ the man said.

new neighbours: An officer from the Guard and Emergency Branch patrols yesterday outside the temporary home of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at Mohammed and Maharaj Streets, off Pasea Road, Tunapuna. -Photo: ROBERTO CODALLO

Persad-Bissessar and her husband, Dr Gregory Bissessar, are occupying one of the homes, which belongs to their relatives. A portion of the two-storey house has also been converted into an executive office where the PM works from when she is at home.

’It’s an honour to have her here. I know it’s not for too long, but we really appreciate the fact that she chose our community out of so many others. She could have gone to the Hyatt, Hilton or Crowne Plaza hotels, but she didn’t and decided to come and live among the people and I respect her for that,’ said Roshini Ramkissoon, who lives on Maharaj Street, opposite one of the homes occupied by Persad-Bissessar.

She said she wished she could get an opportunity to touch and briefly speak with Persad-Bissessar, since she was living on her (Roshini’s) doorstep.

’I wish my house could flood out (with water) right now so she (Persad-Bissessar) could come over and check the extent of the damages (sic),’ Roshini joked.

Roshini added that when she was told by her father that the woman PM was living right next door, she did not believe him for the first time, until she saw PM1 (the PM’s official vehicle) on the road on Thursday night.

On Mohammed Street, two houses away from Persad-Bissessar’s temporary residence, 69-year-old Frankie Mascall planted a Weeping Willow, just opposite his home, saying that it was in remembrance of Persad-Bissessar’s decision to temporarily live in the community.

He said, ’I am planting this here to say that this is when Mrs Persad-Bissessar was here. It’s a plant in remembrance of her staying on my street. I have lived here since the area was a dirt track.’

At the corner of Greaves Street, two streets away from the PM’s temporary residence, a group of young men who were liming at the corner said the area was a relatively safe one and they were pleased to have Persad-Bissessar in their community. (Trinidad Express)

Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday that she will use the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, but will open it up to the people, as is the custom in the United States with the White House.

In opposition, members of the United National Congress (UNC) had heavily criticised the Prime Minister’s Residence, which was a UDeCOTT project built at a cost of $148 million and was described as the ’emperor’s palace’ of former prime minister Patrick Manning.

The multi-million-dollar project was one of the pride and joys of Manning, who had boasted that the structure was built in less than one year by Shanghai Construction Company Ltd.

Yesterday, following the swearing-in ceremony of members of her government, Persad-Bissessar, in response to questions on whether she would hold good on her campaign promise of not moving into the residence, told the media that the official house was offered to President George Maxwell Richards for his use but he declined.

The roof of President’s House caved in after heavy rainfall recently, leaving Richards without an official place to host functions.

TAKING OVER: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar greets her predecessor, Patrick Manning, at the formal handing over of the Office of the Prime Minister at St Clair Avenue, St Clair, yesterday. See Page 6. -Photo: CURTIS CHASE

Persad-Bissessar said Richards indicated to her that he was okay where he was-a cottage on the grounds of President’s House. She also offered him again the Diplomatic Centre to host official functions, which he said he will consider.

’The house will become the people’s house. I will use the house but I will open the house to the people, to the children of the nation and to any who wish to visit. It will become the people’s house,’ Persad-Bissessar said.

’I do not think I should put the nation to further expense of fixing up another house. The house is there and it is empty, certainly we shall use the house for purposes of the government, but I plan to open it up. I would like to see people and children and make it indeed the people’s house.’

Persad-Bissessar said she told Manning yesterday, during their meeting at the Office of Prime Minister, that he can take his time and move out as there was no rush. (See Page 6)

’I think Mr Manning should be given a decent time within which to vacate the house. It’s a family and I don’t think there’s a rush or a hurry and I have so advised him that there’s not a rush,’ she said.

On her Cabinet appointments, Persad-Bissessar said she and members of the People’s Partnership leadership brainstormed until midnight on Thursday to ensure that the right mix of people was selected.

On her appointment of John Sandy as National Security Minister, she said, ’I chose him on merit and competence and his personality. I think priority for us is crime-fighting. He can also bring calmness because he has that nature … he has the experience also being head of the Defence Force, so that we can bring all the forces, all the protective services in a bid to fight the crime in the country.’

Persad-Bissessar said there will no longer be an Information Ministry, as communications to the people will be done from the Office of the Prime Minister.

She assured that SEA students will get their laptops when they enter secondary schools this year and added that financial matters such as CLICO and HCU will be reviewed. She said all concerns of corruption she raised, such as the church in Guanapo, are now in the hands of the relevant authorities.

Persad-Bissessar said this weekend she will spend time with her family. Today she will be in Tobago to attend her niece’s wedding. Tomorrow she will back in Trinidad to attend Indian Arrival Day events and on Monday she heads back to the sister isle for a ’thank you’ motorcade for the people. (Trinidad Express)