TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO JULY POLITICAL UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT OF SPAIN 000343 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR AND INR/IAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KJUS KCRM TD SUBJECT: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO JULY POLITICAL UPDATE SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Much like Washington, the pace in Trinidad and Tobago slows a bit in July and August, due to vacations and school being out. Parliament also will be out of session for August, the lower House already on leave with the Senate to finish its work this week. Despite the somewhat slower pace here, events continue to occur. This cable highlights some notable July occurrences not otherwise reported. Below is a listing of included topics. ¶A. PNM HOLDS ANNUAL CONVENTION ¶B. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS PROPOSED BY MANNING ¶C. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE NOMINEE REJECTED ¶D. LOCAL ELECTIONS DELAYED FOR THIRD YEAR ¶E. CRIME UPDATE ¶F. UNIONS PROTEST ¶G. BAIL AMENDMENT BILL PASSED ¶H. UK VISAS ON THE HORIZON? ¶I. FORMER T&T PRESIDENT HONORED FOR HIS ICC CONTRIBUTION ¶J. UDECOTT ENQUIRY HEADED BY UK PROFESSOR ¶K. PRESIDENT OF GHANA TO VISIT -------------- PNM CONVENTION: NO PEANUTS FOR YOU! -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The People's National Movement (PNM) held its 42nd annual convention July 12-13 at the Chaguaramas Convention Center, just outside Port of Spain. The convention included speeches by Prime Minister Manning and other party leaders, as well as voting for Executive Board members. Unsurprisingly, Manning won reelection as the PNM's top leader, with the rest of those elected to the Executive Board firmly in his camp or considered unwilling to challenge his authority. Only a few Executive Board races were contested. ¶3. (SBU) There was no real dissent at the meeting, with some PNM members sidelined over the last year skipping the event. The only flare-up involved the peanut salesman cousin of fired former Trade Minister Keith Rowley. Despite having plied his trade at past PNM conventions, the street vendor was denied entry into the hall. In retaliation, he swore to the press that he was "no longer the PNM peanut man!" -------------- - CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: A DEBATE ABOUT NOTHING? -------------- - ¶4. (SBU) At the PNM convention, Manning announced he would be sending a constitutional reform proposal to Parliament, perhaps as early as September (Parliament goes out of session at the end of July for about a month). He stressed the proposal was formulated by 
a roundtable of academics and politicians, not him. A centerpiece of the new draft, Manning related, would be moving T&T from the current Westminster style of government with a ceremonial president to a presidential system likely combining the head of state and head of government roles in one office. ¶5. (SBU) Despite Manning's assurance that the still-not-unveiled constitutional proposal stemmed from a roundtable, a day after his announcement, a number of persons on that forum, including former President Sir Ellis Clarke, said they were unsure what draft the PM was talking about since the group was not done. Some commentators mused they felt funny opining on nothing but thin air. Despite having occasionally spoken in the past in favor of a presidential system, the opposition UNC charged Manning's announcement was yet another indication of the PM's desire to concentrate all power in his hands. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: The issue of constitutional reform, and moving to a presidential system, has been discussed for some time. With the opposition holding enough seats in Parliament to block a new constitution, and no one apparently having seen the proposed draft (an older draft is publicly available, but is said to have been greatly changed),little movement over the near term on reform is likely. END COMMENT. -------------- - COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME -------------- - ¶7. (SBU) On July 4, the House of Representatives rejected the nomination of Senior Supt. Stephen Williams for the post of Police Commissioner. All government MPs voted against Williams. PNM House Business Leader Colm Imbert explained that while the GOTT had great respect for Williams, the Police Service Commission (PSC) process for selecting a new Commissioner did not result in the best list of candidates despite taking 10 months to complete. Hitting its consistent theme, opposition MPs replied the government was exceeding its bounds by rejecting Williams and this was yet another PORT OF SP 00000343 002 OF 003 instance of Manning not willing to let any major decisions be made outside his control. ¶8. (SBU) On July 5, James Philbert, also a finalist for the commissioner's job, took over as Acting Police Commissioner due to his being the most senior officer next in line (Williams is 26th in seniority). In a July 7 joint press conference, Williams and Philbert said they would work together as members of the police service to address the worrisome crime rate. ¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: Outside analysts noted that if confirmed, Williams, being in his forties, would have been able to stay in his post for over a decade before reaching the required retirement of ¶60. At least one government official mentioned this potentially lengthy tenure as a concern. END COMMENT. -------------- LOCAL ELECTIONS: THIRD TIME NO CHARM -------------- ¶10. (SBU) On July 8, Parliament passed a motion postponing local elections for a third consecutive year. Ruling party Ministers explained that newly planned local government reforms involving decentralization and district boundaries necessitated the delay. While the opposition voted solidly against the motion, it carried when some independent Senators backed it. In 2006, elections were postponed due to the last round of local government reforms having just been put in place. The government delayed voting for a second time in 2007, arguing that holding local and general elections during the same year would be confusing and potentially overload the system. -------------- CRIME UPDATE: NUMBER NINE WITH A BULLET -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The murder toll in T&T reached 302 as of July 28. In response to the high murder rate, the press reported on an unsourced Wikipedia posted ranking that listed Trinidad and Tobago as ninth in 2007 in per capita homicides among 75 countries compared. While the sourcing remains questionable, the potential to move up on whatever Wiki list appears for 2008 is high given that murders here are running at a record pace. -------------- UNIONS PROTEST: NATIONAL STRIKE THREATENED -------------- ¶12. (SBU) On July 19, several unions gathered in Port of Spain to protest a wide variety of concerns (including inflation, cost of living and crime). Among participants were the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organizations (FITUN,) and T&T Unified Teachers Association. Trade union leaders at the event threatened a national strike for September 8 absent any improvement in conditions. -------------- BAIL BILL: GOVERNMENT SUCCEEDS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The House approved in mid-July legislation amending the current bail law to widen the range of offenses where restrictions on granting bail could be enforced. All government MPs backed the measure and all opposition members abstained, despite having backed such a measure in the past. The amendment, which requires a three-fifths majority, reportedly has the support of at least three independent Senators and, therefore, is expected to become law when it reaches the Senate in September. -------------- UK VISAS: A VISA BLOW -------------- ¶14. (SBU) HMG announced in mid-July it might begin requiring visas of traveling T&T citizens in 2009. The British government said it would consult with Trinidad (and the other 10 countries specified in its announcement) over the next six months to see if its concerns over drug trafficking, illegal immigration and (in some instances) travel documents could be addressed. Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon discussed the issue while in London for another meeting with her UK counterpart. On July 24, she also announced two British officials would arrive here in August to discuss the visa issue. Local opposition politicians charged the threatened British action was one more sign that crime was out of control in T&T and, for that reason, other nations were becoming fearful of contact with Trinidad. -------------- ICC: ROBINSON HONORED -------------- PORT OF SP 00000343 003 OF 003 ¶15. (SBU) At a July 17 UN event in New York celebrating the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court, former Prime Minister and President A.N.R. Robinson was honored for his "outstanding contribution to the cause of international justice." Robinson is considered one of the ICC's founding fathers, a reason that Article 98 accords have never had any resonance here. -------------- UDECOTT ENQUIRY: ON THE SLOW TRACK -------------- ¶16. (SBU) The GOTT announced July 23 that the four-member Commission of Enquiry into the activities of the government-run Urban Development Company of T&T (Udecott) will be headed by British professor John Uff. The commission, to look into allegations of corruption, abuse of authority and misuse of funds, was originally to be headed by Atlantic LNG head and former Integrity Commission lead Gordon Deane, but opposition politicians asserted he was biased toward the government. The appointment of the other three members of the commission is being finalized; all will be T&T citizens. The commission will begin its investigation in October and a report will be delivered ninemonths to a year later. -------------- GHANA PRESIDENT: VISIT FOR MANCIPATION DAY -------------- ¶17. (SBU) Ghanaian President John Kfuor will visit T&T for the Emancipation Day celbrations from July 30-August 1. Kufuor will meet with GOTT leaders, speak at various Emancipation Day (August 1) events and be feted at a State Dinner. Ghana's Minister of Energy is currently in T&T as part of a group of visiting Economic Community of West African States officials. KUSNITZ