Caribbean & Central America
Trinidad & Tobago's president, Professor GM Richards, raised the fraught issue of race relations at the ceremonial opening of parliament on 10 September. He said that people were mobilizing around old grievances and he warned against 'identity politics that polarize people and groups'. The 1.3m population of Trinidad & Tobago is made up of 40% of Indian descent, 37.5% of African descent, and 20.5% mixed race. Professor Richards warned: 'We are dangerously close to adopting positions in this country that could, if we are not careful, suppress and ultimately destroy the gains we have accomplished over several years, dating back to the pre-independence era in so far as relative racial harmony is concerned.'
According to the president: 'Even at this stage of our development we ascribe to ethnic groups certain qualities without investigation. Some are described as lazy, rowdy, or irresponsible, others as stingy, yet others as exploitative, all of which could lead to social exclusion.'
Finally, he noted: '42 years after we achieve political independence we can no longer blame the colonist for whatever divisions we construct among ourselves.'
Electoral boundary changes
The main opposition United National Congress (UNC) is opposing a proposal by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to increase the number of constituencies in Trinidad & Tobago from 36 to 41. The UNC says that the boundary changes will favour the ruling People's National Movement (PNM), and it is asking for a change in the way in which electoral boundary changes are dealt with.