Smelter debate heats up. Again!
It seems that now the distraction of our Soca Warriors in Germany has cooled down a bit, Trinis are now keen to take back up the discusssions about what's going wrong in the country.
One of the discussions has been about the announcement in yesterday's newspapers that Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, former Attorney General and recent returnee to the split and weakening Opposition party the United National Congress has offered to take up, pro bono, the case of the community of Chatham/Cap de Ville and environs, against the building of the ALCOA aluminum smelter in their area.
Indeed it's the first time I've seen so much use of the Express newspaper's online reader's comments attached to indvidual stories that they over ambitiously touted as their 'blog'feature.
The prevailing wisdom seems to be that it's a mistake for the community to align itself with Ramesh, given his track record (one of the things that comes readily to mind in his time as AG, he withdrew Trinidad from the UN declaration on Human Rights so that he could hang some people).
Still, as I asked of some people this morning, why haven't other non aligned lawyers come forward? If it is then that the communities are now at the mercy of political bandwagonists, who only bother to hitch themselves to successful popular movements anyway, then is that the naiveté of the communities, or is that the fault of those of us who should know better? Or is it both?
The reality is that an injunction needs to be taken out. The community was as far as I know turned down when they approached Legal Aid. Ramesh came forward and has offered to do the work pro bono.
I think it is the responsibility of all who are concerned about this to keep an eye on what is going on. Ramesh should not be allowed in the manner of ALCOA and our esteemed government, to ride on the backs of the people of Chatham and Cap de Ville.
Indeed it is an interesting development in the anti-smelter lobby. I hope that all the many citizens standing on the sidelines, don't use this as justification for their continued inaction.
Now more than ever we need to give the communities of the south western peninsula our support.
One of the discussions has been about the announcement in yesterday's newspapers that Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, former Attorney General and recent returnee to the split and weakening Opposition party the United National Congress has offered to take up, pro bono, the case of the community of Chatham/Cap de Ville and environs, against the building of the ALCOA aluminum smelter in their area.
Indeed it's the first time I've seen so much use of the Express newspaper's online reader's comments attached to indvidual stories that they over ambitiously touted as their 'blog'feature.
The prevailing wisdom seems to be that it's a mistake for the community to align itself with Ramesh, given his track record (one of the things that comes readily to mind in his time as AG, he withdrew Trinidad from the UN declaration on Human Rights so that he could hang some people).
Still, as I asked of some people this morning, why haven't other non aligned lawyers come forward? If it is then that the communities are now at the mercy of political bandwagonists, who only bother to hitch themselves to successful popular movements anyway, then is that the naiveté of the communities, or is that the fault of those of us who should know better? Or is it both?
The reality is that an injunction needs to be taken out. The community was as far as I know turned down when they approached Legal Aid. Ramesh came forward and has offered to do the work pro bono.
I think it is the responsibility of all who are concerned about this to keep an eye on what is going on. Ramesh should not be allowed in the manner of ALCOA and our esteemed government, to ride on the backs of the people of Chatham and Cap de Ville.
Indeed it is an interesting development in the anti-smelter lobby. I hope that all the many citizens standing on the sidelines, don't use this as justification for their continued inaction.
Now more than ever we need to give the communities of the south western peninsula our support.
posted by Attillah at 9:13 PM
5 Comments:
Its just as I was saying in a previous posting...you guys in the RAG and CPU have now lost all credibilty with the national population and you will soon find out that NO ONE will take you seriously anymore. The fight is certainly lost!!
Ramesh Lawrence-Maharaj is now aligned with the cause for stopping the ALCOA smelter in the Cedros Peninsula. Nothing could be worse than this! Just ask the Friends and Fishermen of the Sea group about him!! Do any of you wonder why FFOS has been so silent on this and other issues? Its because Ramesh promised to represent their cause against another multinational Giant - bpTT - probono and when the shit hit the fan and he lost the case before the Privy Council he slapped the FFOS with a bill for a few million dollars for fees and expenses.
Those poor guys had to sign an agreement with bpTT and the Government to bail them out of financial debt in exchange for their future silence on all activities undertaken by the Government and bpTT!! Go and speak to Gary Aboud if you think I am making this up.
you certainly sound very pleased with yourself. pity there are people like you in trinidad, that take pleasure in the misfortune of others and only exist to pour scorn on anyone who attempts to make a difference.
Sad, really. People like you just make this place ripe for all the crime, corruption and worse, all the apathy that abound.
Keep up the good work. You are doing an excellent job at self defeat.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Life is really a funny thing....
Right now I am imagining randy overbey sitting at his computer feverishly typing away, ensuring that he responds to every posting on cyber space discrediting his and alutrint's smelter; signed with the alias- vessigny rising!
That or either vessigny rising wants a job in a smelter so that he/she can be impotent in other areas to.
Life is really a funny thing....
Right now I am imagining randy overbey sitting at his computer feverishly typing away, ensuring that he responds to every posting on cyber space discrediting his and alutrint's smelter; signed with the alias- vessigny rising!
That or either vessigny rising wants a job in a smelter so that he/she can be impotent in other areas to.
Post a Comment
<< Home