Panday: UNC non-cooperation continues

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday promised that when Parliament reconvenes in September, the Government can expect the United National Congress (UNC) to continue its campaign of non-cooperation with renewed vigour.

In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Panday dismissed last week’s NACTA poll and St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming’s statement that the UNC’s strategy of not supporting major pieces of legislation in Parliament was backfiring on the Opposition. Following last year’s General Elections defeat to the People’s National Movement (PNM), Panday vowed to wage a campaign of civil disobedience against the Government. One of the strategies of this campaign was the UNC’s refusal to support legislation in Parliament which required a special majority for passage. Among the bills caught in this political quagmire are the Police Reform Bills.

Prior to the 2000 General Elections, the UNC agreed with the then Opposition PNM that the Bills would be passed regardless of whoever won those elections. The bills were never passed under the UNC administration. Asked about the latest NACTA poll’s finding that he and other UNC parliamentarians who are  perceived to be corrupt should resign from the UNC to give the party a fighting chance at regaining government, Panday replied: “So should PNM MPs.” The UNC leader dismissed the poll’s prediction of the PNM winning four additional seats in the next General Election and gaining a veto-proof majority. “Elections are not determined by opinion polls,” the UNC leader scoffed.

As predicted last week by UNC insiders, Panday flatly rejected the poll’s major finding that he was the PNM’s “biggest asset” to remaining in government.The UNC leader disagreed with Prime Minister Patrick Manning that police efforts against kidnappers under the latest anti-crime intiative were “a spectacular success” but declined to say anything further about arrests of persons and seizure of illegal drugs, weapons and ammunition since the intitiative was launched two weeks ago by National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee and Ag Police Commissioner Everald Snaggs. At last week’s Emancipation celebrations at the Queens Park Savannah, the Prime Minister warned criminal elements in the society: “We are coming for you.”