VZCZCXRO8886
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHSP #0343/01 2111858
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291858Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9317
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

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