Panday silent on Yetming

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday declined to respond to St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming’s view that he resign immediately, the United National Congress’ (UNC) policy of non-co-operation with the Government had failed and the party could never mount an active challenge to the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) unless it removes the stigma of corruption “completely, completely, completely.”

After numerous attempts, Newsday managed to contact Panday but the UNC Political Leader refused to comment upon his former finance minister’s statement. The UNC leader said he was not prepared to respond to Yetming at this time. However, the statements of two Opposition MPs seemed to suggest a divergence of opinion within the UNC over Yetming’s statement. Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma said he saw nothing new in Yetming’s statement, recalling that Panday had publicly stated on many occasions that he wished to retire from active politics when he reached the age of 70. “That is not news,” he stated.  Sharma added that the UNC would be holding internal elections towards the end of 2003 and Yetming could challenge for any post, including that of political leader.  However, Pointe-a-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky saw nothing wrong with Yetming expressing his views in the way he did. “Mr Yetming was very forthright,” she said. Lucky said regardless of whether the other UNC parliamentarians agreed with Yetming’s views or not, it showed there was independence of thought within the party and this was “in the best interest of democracy.”