Panday to contest UNC leader post

In addition, they say he proposes to contest the post of Political Leader which comes up for grabs in the October 2 election. Panday, they say, plans to announce his candidacy in due course.

By Panday seeking to retain the position, they pointed out, he has poured water on the fiery battle that was emerging for the post.

As the sources indicated, once Panday announces his candidacy, the position of Political Leader will be uncontested.

Sources stated that the other aspirants to office have made it clear that they will not fight once Panday is still in the ring.

Word is that Panday is putting together a slate of candidates.

Whether this slate will be a consensus slate aimed at bringing together the two different points of view that have emerged on the issue of the leadership, sources were not in a position to say. Panday, who is in London, returns to Trinidad on August 31.

However, sources feel this development will seriously scuttle the ambitions of some persons as well as affect the movement for fundamental reform within the party.

There has been a lot of speculation within the past months about whether Panday would bow out of politics. Sources state that Panday, as late as July 10, indicated his desire to leave active political life, and to support the candidacy of Winston Dookeran. Even before this, Panday is reported to have told several persons that he was politically scarred and that he was no longer politically good-looking.

There emerged two groups within the UNC — one supporting Dookeran as Panday’s successor, and one that was against a "Dookeran anointment." The latter group rallied around Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

But there were those who always believed that the lion was not prepared to leave his political den.

As the reality began to sink in yesterday that Panday might not be going anywhere, supporters on both sides of the fence were hoping for unity to be achieved between the two factions within the party.