Please surprise us, Mr Panday

THE EDITOR: On every occasion on which the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Basdeo Panday has been approached with the request to do his duty and to play his role as a statesman in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, he cries out for Constitutional change.

What baffles me is, that the said Basdeo Panday had ruled and governed this country for six years under the same constitution. And during this period I cannot recall a single cry from him for a change of the constitution, except that he kept hinting on the need for an Executive President. Since Basdeo Panday and his political party lost the governance of the country in the General Elections of 2002, he has suddenly found that the said constitution is now unworkable. Why was the constitution good for Basdeo Panday when in power for six years but it is now so dastardly bad when Patrick Manning and his People’s National Movement is in power?

Basdeo Panday accuses Patrick Manning of racism in his governing practices. We would like Mr Panday to be more definitive and to point out, for the benefit of the population, the areas in which Mr Manning has been practising racism, and in doing so draw a corollary with what he did, under similar circumstances, when he was in power. We call on Mr Panday to grow up, to become politically mature, and to play his role as an enlightened and experienced politician. As an experienced politician in opposition Mr Panday should see his role and function as that of being objectively critical of the Party in power. He should be cooperative in areas in which the Government’s proposals are for the benefit of the country, while projecting better alternative procedures that would more greatly benefit the people. What we are seeing, however, is that in every situation in which he and his kith and kin are not in ascendancy, Panday sees racism.

Mr Panday, it is time to stop whimpering as a little boy who has lost his marbles and begin to play your role as an astute politician. Surprise us, Mr Panday.

JERRY ANAND
Tacarigua