New rising sun by this evening

AT the end of a five-hour “Freedom Rally” motorcade yesterday by the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) from Chaguanas to St Helena, passing in front of the prisons at Arouca, to show solidarity for the position taken by its leader Basdeo Panday, party activist Jack Warner promised that by this evening there would be “the dawn of a new era in the party.” Speaking to party supporters at the Eco Park, St Helena, Warner said Panday refused bail and is in jail because of his love for his people. Warner insisted that “when he choose to come out, if we do not have a party with a difference we would have failed him.” He reiterated his appeal for those “on the outside” to return, adding that he has been speaking with “Trevor (Sudama), Ramesh (Lawrence Maharaj) and Gillian (Lucky), and 24 hours from now you will see the dawn of a new era in this party.”

His promise received loud cheers from the hundreds who participated in the rally. Warner said he has made a request to visit Panday this afternoon and “by this time tomorrow you will see a new party. You will see the rising sun rise.” He said both he and former Ortoire/Mayaro MP Winston “Gypsy” Peters, had several bail bonds waiting for Panday to choose from to secure bail should he wish to do so. Warner was also firm that Panday must be “free to talk to us” after tomorrow’s court appearance, as he urged supporters, whom he asked to be present in their thousands at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, “you must all tell him to take the bail.” Echoing Warner’s call for unity was Gypsy who likened the UNC to a tsunami. To the hymn of “Come Home,” he told the “strayed UNC members this is the time to come together, we need you and you need us. It is no time for political limbo, come home, those who are weary come home.”

Panday’s daughter Mikela also briefly thanked “my UNC family for your support,” asking that they keep up the struggle which was also to their benefit, and Oropouche MP Roodal Moonilal continued to compare Panday’s action to that of former South African leader Nelson Mandela. The motorcade left Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, at 10.15 am yesterday and travelled through Montrose, into Curepe and onto the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. Police led the entourage of hundreds of cars with headlights on, carrying supporters with UNC emblazoned T-shirts, TT national flags as well as UNC flags. Music trucks blasted music. The approved route was along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway passing the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca, through Mausica to St Helena.

But when the lead vehicles in the motorcade in which Mrs Oma Panday and Mikela were a part of, arrived at Piarco Junction at 1.50 pm, it was discovered that a section had gone off along the Eastern Main Road opting to pass along the Golden Grove Road in front of the Golden Grove Prison. The motorcade was halted to “wait for the others,” but by that time police officers from the Highway Patrol blocked access to the Golden Grove Road from the highway, and began screening cars wishing to use the road. Once they were part of the motorcade they were debarred from passing. Tempers flared as some supporters wanted to walk along Golden Grove Road, but they were advised that Panday was at the Maximum Security Prison and it would be wiser to go along the highway.

Among those who took the Eastern Main Road route was the DJ Lalo truck with MPs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Chandresh Sharma, Hamza Rafeeq, Gypsy and UNC CEO Tim Goopeesingh. A senior police officer told Newsday they could not prevent them from passing in front of the jail, but there was a strong police presence at the gates preventing anyone from getting close, as well as in front of the road leading to the Maximum Security Prison on the highway. No vehicles were allowed to stop in front of the prisons. He said additional heavily armed police officers were a phone call away if needed.

They were not on site because “we did not want to intimidate anyone,” said the senior officer. Horns were honked as supporters passed the prisons. With the exception of a massive traffic jam on the highway, the motorcade, which according to Ken Emrith included 1,000 cars, was said to be incident free. Meantime “Friends of Bas” ad-hoc committee which includes Tobago UNC activist Barrington Thomas and attorney-at-law Randy Depoo, which has been holding a 24-hour vigil at Piarco Junction since Panday has been in jail, will be holding an inter-faith service today at 7 pm.