Surujrattan Rambachan (born April 14, 1949) is a Trinidad and Tobago politician, academic and cultural activist. He was the Works and Infrastructure Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and deputy political leader of the United National Congress Party (UNC) and member of parliament for Tabaquite.
He previously served as mayor of Chaguanas, Senator and Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and Ambassador to Brazil. In 1980 he was a founding member of the Organisation for National Reconstruction and served as Deputy Political Leader of that party. He played a key role in the establishment of Indian Arrival Day as a national celebration in Trinidad and Tobago. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Tabaquite.
Rambachan received his instrument of appointment from George Maxwell Richards, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Friday 28 May 2010 after taking the oath of office. Minister Rambachan is an experienced diplomat who served as Ambassador to Brazil during the period 1987 to 1990.
He has had a long-standing career in public life and became a founding member of the Organisation for National Reconstruction in 1980 where he served as Deputy Political Leader of the party. In April 1990 he was appointed as Senator and Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Enterprise and Tourism. He also held the position of Mayor of Chaguanas for six years during the period 2003 to 2009. Rambachan has served as a lecturer with the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus.
Rambachan sued Jack Warner for defamation as a result of remarks the latter made at a July 2013 meeting of the Independent Liberal Party. The suit was settled in favor of Rambachan for TT$375,000 in July 2016. [1]
In August 2015, Suruj Rambachan publicly accused the owner of the IBN, Inshan Ishmael of targeting him and his family. [2]
The politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from which the country gained its independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The United National Congress is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago and the current parliamentary opposition. The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday, a Trinidadian lawyer, economist, trade unionist, and actor after a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). After spending six years in opposition, the UNC won control of the government in 1995, initially in coalition with the NAR and later on its own. In the 2000 general election, the UNC won an absolute majority in the Parliament. In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. From 2001 to 2010, the UNC was once again Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as the majority party in the People's Partnership. The UNC's Political Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Prime Minister from 2010 until 2015.
Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician.
Simbhoonath Capildeo was a prominent lawyer and politician in Trinidad and Tobago. He was the elder brother of Rudranath Capildeo and uncle of Nobel laureate Sir Vidia "V. S." Naipaul and Shiva Naipaul. He was father to two sons, Surendranath and Devendranath Capildeo and a daughter, Sita Capildeo. Capildeo was one of the founding members of the Democratic Labour Party and a member of parliament from 1956 to 1966, becoming known as "the Lion of the Legislative Council". He served as the acting Leader of the Opposition for Bhadase Sagan Maraj and Rudranath Capildeo. Capildeo was also an important leader of the Hindu community in Trinidad and played in role in the foundation of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. In 1989 he was awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal by the Trinidad and Tobago government, honoring his service to the country.
Jack Austin Warner is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician, businessman, and former football executive. Warner was Vice President of FIFA and President of CONCACAF until his suspension and eventual resignation from these roles in 2011. He is also the former Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago and was an elected member of the country's parliament from 2007 to 2015. He was also the owner of Joe Public F.C., a professional football club in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. Warner has been implicated in numerous corruption scandals and was banned for life from football related activities by FIFA in 2015. He currently faces extradition to the United States to face corruption charges.
Winston Chandarbhan Dookeran is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician and economist as well as international public official. Dookeran is the current Secretary-General of EUCLID, an intergovernmental institution of higher learning. He previously served as Political Leader of the Congress of the People, central bank governor, minister of finance, and minister of foreign affairs.
Gerald Yetming is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and businessman. Since 2002 he has served as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. Joseph in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago for the opposition United National Congress (UNC). Prior to that he was a Senator from 2000 to 2001, and Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2001.
The Democratic National Assembly (DNA) is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party is meant to serve as a "third force" is society, providing a "non-tribal" alternative to the ruling United National Congress and the Opposition People's National Movement. The party symbol is a flat topped pyramid.
Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo is one of the nine regions of Trinidad and Tobago, and one of the five regions which form the Gulf of Paria coastline on Trinidad's West Coast. Its regional capital and commercial center is Couva. Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo is the third-largest of Trinidad and Tobago's nine regions, with an area of 723 square kilometres (300 sq mi). As of 2011, the population was 178,410. The region is the second-most populous and fourth-least-densely populated region in Trinidad with 247 inhabitants per square kilometre (640/sq mi).
The Congress of the People (COP) is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Its current political leader is Kirt Sinnette. Its symbol is the "Circle of Circles".
General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 5 November 2007. Nomination day was 15 October. Five parties contested the elections; the ruling People's National Movement, the official opposition United National Congress–Alliance, the Congress of the People, the Tobago United Front–Democratic Action Congress and the Democratic National Assembly. Five independent candidates also ran.
Inshan Ishmael came into the public eye with his launching of an Islamic television station in Trinidad and Tobago, the Islamic Broadcast Network, where he hosted a popular talk show, “Breaking Barriers” and for his historic court action against the state for using the Trinity Cross as the nation’s highest award. In January 2007 he again received national attention when he was arrested under the Anti-Terro.
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Trinidad and Tobago were established on June 6, 1974. Russia is represented in Trinidad and Tobago through a non-resident embassy in Georgetown, Guyana.
The People's Partnership (PP) was a political coalition in Trinidad and Tobago among five political parties: the United National Congress (UNC), the Congress of the People (COP), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP), Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and National Joint Action Committee (NJAC). The political leader was Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The coalition was formed in advance of the 2010 general election attempting to form a multi-ethnic opposition bloc against the People's National Movement (PNM) government led by Patrick Manning. The coalition won the 2010 General Elections defeating the People's National Movement on May 24, 2010. On September 7, 2015, the coalition was defeated in the 2015 General Elections to the People's National Movement led by Keith Rowley. The coalition saw the departure of the Movement for Social Justice in 2012 and eventually disbanded on December 8, 2015.
The Independent Liberal Party was a political party of Trinidad and Tobago. It was formed in July 2013, after Jack Warner was not reselected as the candidate for the Chaguanas West by-election for the United National Congress (UNC) party. It was launched at a political rally, in Jubilee Grounds, Pierre Road, Chaguanas.
Anita Haynes is a Trinidad and Tobago politician representing the United National Congress. She has served as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Tabaquite since the 2020 general election. She was previously an Opposition Senator from 2017 to 2020. She is the first female MP for Tabaquite.
Khadijah Ameen is a Trinidad and Tobago politician representing the United National Congress. She has served as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for St. Augustine since the 2020 general election. She is the current deputy political leader of the UNC and the Shadow Local Government Minister.
Richie G. Sookhai is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian senator, Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport, engineer and businessman.