Ramesh: I will defend Panday for Opposition leader post

Maharaj’s re-entry into the UNC, via the Senate, is dependent on Panday’s retention of the Opposition Leader’s position.

Maharaj yesterday issued a three-page release outlining the basis of his argument that constitutionally, morally and politically, there was no basis on which President George Maxwell Richards could, should and would remove Panday.

And the former Attorney General warned Political Leader Winston Dookeran that if he allowed his supporters to continue the infighting over the Opposition Leader’s post, he (Dookeran) would become a leader without followers and those Members of Parliament who follow him "MPs without constituents."

From a constitutional point-of-view, Maharaj said that Section 83 (4) provided for the revocation of the Leader of Opposition.

He said the issue of such a revocation could only arise if nine members of the Opposition or more informed the President, by letter with their signatures, that they support another member of the Opposition to be Opposition Leader. He said since no one had produced such a letter, the issue did not arise.

However, Maharaj contended that even if such a letter were to be produced, the President could not automatically revoke the appointment of Panday.

"If this were so, the President would be revoking appointments and making new appointments of Opposition Leader every month.

"The President also has to be satisfied that the person wishing to be appointed Leader of the Opposition is best able to command the support of the majority of the members of the Opposition," he stated.

In contrast to Panday, who has contended that the issue of the Opposition Leader post has nothing to do with the party, and everything to do with the elected MPs, Maharaj said the raising of the issue of party officials could be interpreted by the membership of the UNC as an attempt "to unilaterally reverse the majority vote of the party at the internal elections, in which the membership overwhelmingly voted in favour of the present Leader of the Opposition. They voted for him to remain in office and to be chairman of the party."

Said Maharaj, "Any possible change of Leader of the Opposition is a party matter, which must be agreed upon within the party. This is not a public issue and it cannot be decided by the President in this manner, or by a public relations exercise, or by some members of the Opposition leaving the front bench of the Opposition to sit on the back-bench."

Maharaj, a former Deputy Political Leader and Attorney General whose break with Panday came after a bitter and very public battle, urged party officials to recognise that unity in the party was essential.