Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PORTOFSPAIN152
2006-02-01 12:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Port Of Spain
Cable title:  

TRINIDAD: BI-WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER KCRM KJUS TD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8622
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHSP #0152/01 0321219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011219Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6362
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3539
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000152 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KCRM KJUS TD
SUBJECT: TRINIDAD: BI-WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: 05 PORT OF SPAIN 1925

Post has been tracking the following developments on the
political scene:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000152

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KCRM KJUS TD
SUBJECT: TRINIDAD: BI-WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: 05 PORT OF SPAIN 1925

Post has been tracking the following developments on the
political scene:


1. PM MANNING MEETS WITH HAITI'S INTERIM PRIME MINISTER

2. JAMAAT-AL-MUSLIMEEN LEADER TO STAND TRIAL FOR TERRORISM

3. OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS

4. PRISONS OFFICER CHARGED

5. PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE ELECTION AND
BOUNDARIES COMMISSION (EBC)

-------------- --------------
PM MANNING MEETS WITH HAITI'S INTERIM PRIME MINISTER
-------------- --------------


1. On January 25, PM Manning, who is currently the Chairman
of CARICOM met with Haiti's Interim Prime Minister Gerard
Latortue at the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss a
number of issues including matters related to Haiti's
upcoming presidential election. Latortue, who was invited
by Prime Minister Manning on a three-day visit to Trinidad,
asked Manning for his moral support as the group's Chairman
for a CARICOM observer team to monitor the upcoming Haitian
election and for the restoration of normal CARICOM/Haiti
relations. Latortue cut off Haiti's ties to Caricom shortly
after president Jean Bertrand Aristide was ousted from power
because the group refused to recognize Haiti's interim
administration and supported calls for an international
probe into allegations that the United States and France had
conspired to force Aristide to resign. The group did not
recognize Latortue, saying that he was not democratically
elected to rule Haiti.

-------------- --------------
JAMAAT-AL-MUSLIMEEN LEADER TO STAND TRIAL FOR TERRORISM
-------------- --------------


2. Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen
extremist group responsible for the July 27, 1990 attempted
coup, has been committed to stand trial for terrorism,
incitement and sedition based on statements he made during
his Eid-ul-Fitr sermon on November 4, 2005. (Reftel). Having
been denied bail on several occasions, Bakr's attorneys
argued that he should not be discriminated against because,
like others, Bakr was entitled to his religious beliefs and

the right of freedom of conscience. Reftel. Though Abu Bakr
was also charged for possession of guns and ammunition after
the police raided the mosque on November 10, the Trinidad
Express reported on January 21, that the State has dropped
those charges. No explanation was given for such a move.
Bakr is the first to be charged under the Anti-terrorism Act
since its tumultuous passage in Parliament in September

2005.


3. Bakr is also before the High Court on a murder
conspiracy charge. In March 2005, Bakr was freed and a re-
trial ordered after a nine-member jury failed to arrive at a
unanimous verdict after deliberating for approximately four
hours. Bakr was indicted in 2003 for conspiracy to murder
two Jamaat-al-Muslimeen members who had been expelled from
the group.

-------------- --------------
OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS
-------------- --------------


4. The Trinidad Guardian reported on January 20, that the
United National Congress (UNC) intends to call for
international observers for the next general election, due
in 2007. UNC Vice Chairman Vasant Bharath announced at the
party's executive meeting that he intends to write to the
Carter Center and the CARICOM secretariat to register the
party's concern about the 2002 election. Bharath said that
party members and supporters believe the last election was
not fair.


5. According to the representation of the people act,
elections for local government positions are due this year
and parliamentary elections are slated for 2007. Recently,
PM Manning has been hinting at an early parliamentary
election.

--------------
PRISONS OFFICER CHARGED
--------------

6. The local media reported that a prison officer with ten
years service was charged with the possession of marijuana
with intent to sell inside the prison.


PORT OF SP 00000152 002 OF 002


-------------- --------------
PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW ELECTION AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION
CHAIRMAN
-------------- --------------


7. The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
named Norbert Masson as the new Chairman of the Elections
and Boundaries Commission effective December 5, 2005. He
will serve for five years. Dr. Masson was a member of the
EBC prior to this promotion.


8. Former Chairman Oswald Wilson's five-year term came to
an end in November 2005. However, he announced that he was
not offering himself up for re-appointment by the President.
Under his stewardship, the EBC came under fire by both the
People's National Movement (PNM) and the (Opposition) United
National Congress (UNC) in the last two parliamentary
elections. The EBC was severely criticized for publishing
an inaccurate voters list, for failure to register voters
and for taking an inordinate length of time to produce
identification cards.

AUSTIN