Panday should resign after PNM ‘cut-tail’

THE PNM election machine rolled into the Fyzabad home of the labour movement on Thursday evening, with a prophetic Prime Minister Patrick Manning predicting the demise of the Opposition party after the July 14 poll. Addressing hundreds of jubilant, balisier-waving supporters at Charlie King Junction, Manning recalled that shortly after the 1995 General Election campaign, which saw a 17-17-2 result, a “smug” Basdeo Panday had advised him to “resign from the PNM if you love your party.” “But, I want to send a message to Mr Panday. The storm clouds are rising over your party and after the PNM put ah sound licking on you, I hope you can take your own advice and resign,” he said. The Prime Minister seemed to be echoing the sentiments of a leading political scientist who had predicted that the Opposition leader would be forced to resign if the Opposition party lost any of the Regional Corporations under its control. And quoting from the Old Testament book of Daniel, Manning observed that the “writing is on the wall for the UNC” as the massive crowd standing in the heart of the Opposition-controlled constituency cheered wildly.                                           

But it was not all political picong as Manning also revealed that the disability grant would be increased to $90 million in the 2003/2004 budget. Manning again slammed into the Opposition party for not supporting Government’s Kidnapping legislation saying the party had reduced “big men to tears.” He cited the recent kidnapping of chicken magnate Jai Ramkissoon son’s, Syam, saying had the kidnappers been facing “jail without bail”, the young man may not have been abducted. “Here we have a big man crying because the Opposition party does not support the legislation that calls for no bail for kidnappers.” He then slammed the Opposition calls for constitutional reform, reiterating that the process could not be accomplished in “five minutes or two months.” Manning also lamented the stance adopted by the Opposition party on the Caribbean Court of Justice saying the Jamaican Opposition party was now reviewing its stance on the Court. He urged supporters to “bring home the Siparia Regional Corporation” to the folds of the PNM. The meeting ended shortly after 11 pm when soca star, Iwer George, gyrated on stage with a massive balisier in hand and exhorted all PNM supporters to “Wave your balisier.”