Dookeran
demands Manning comes clean
By Juhel Browne
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
08 26 07
Congress of the People political leader Winston
Dookeran says the risk of a repeat of the same
political cycle that led to 1990 attempted coup
is now very real.
Dookeran also said there was an energy cartel
in Trinidad and Tobago, that came from the 'old
boys' network of the former Shell Oil Company that
once operated in Trinidad.
"I demand that the prime minister declare
the assets and interests of the members his energy
cartel and come clean with the people of Trinidad
and Tobago," he said.
He also made the same demand of those placed in
charge of the Urban Development Corporation of
Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (UDeCOTT), the Rapid Rail
Project and the Home Mortgage Bank.
Dookeran made the assertions yesterday during
his maiden response to a national Budget as the
political leader of the Congress, the minority
party in the Parliament.
Early in his contribution to the debate on the
2008 Budget, Dookeran said that the oil boom of
the 1950s saw the nation's political cycle ebbing
into 1970 street protests in Port of Spain.
"Then the dramatic rise in the price of oil
in the 70s ended the economy's recovery with a
violent attack on this Parliament in 1990," Dookeran
said.
He
continued: "Now, in this, the first decade
of this second millennium, the risk of a repeat
of that political cycle is upon us; as our expectations
and resolve to free ourselves from the direct influence
of energy prices and output shocks are giving way
to anxiety and fear of the risks and danger ahead."
Dookeran chided Manning's pronouncements that
the nation's oil and natural gas reserves were
not running out, as a recent audit of the gas reserves
states that while 37 trillion cubic feet had been
identified for exploration, there are only 12 years
of supply last.
Dookeran also questioned the confidence expressed
by senior executives of two upstream energy companies
in the natural gas reserves.
Dookeran said the Manning administration did not
heed the warnings of the International Monetary
Fund regarding rising inflation.
He called for an announcement of the date of the
next General Election.
"Let us go to the polls, let us go to the
people, the COP is ready to rumble, Mr Prime Minister," Dookeran
said.
- jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Saturday, August 25th 2007
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