Dookeran in UNC team to meet Manning on crime

UNC political leader Winston Dookeran will be in the team led by Panday which will meet Manning on the issue of crime. The meeting takes place 10 am Monday at Whitehall.

Previously, one of the key problems was Panday’s insistence that the UNC was not prepared to co-operate with the government on crime unless the talks were linked to constitutional reform. Dookeran, however, indicated yesterday that he had already publicly expressed the view that constitutional reform was a separate, but important issue.

Dookeran, who had called for a President-led initiative to bring Manning and Panday to the table, said yesterday he saw Monday’s meeting as part of the new "engagement process" for which he has been calling.

Anti-crime activist Stephen Cadiz yesterday welcomed the decision to hold Monday’s bipartisan meeting. Cadiz said from the inception, his committee was seeking (in its petition to the President) to have the entire Parliament come together and work out an action plan for crime.

He lamented that it took five months and the violent loss of 185 more lives before this bipartisan coming together was achieved.

"What happens on Monday (at the meeting) would be telling on how mature our Parliament is," Cadiz said.

He added that he would eagerly await the details of the discussions. "I really hope our politicians can put the petty politics behind them and realise that they are here to serve the country," he said.

Meanwhile, in a release, representatives of 21 organisations which comprise the private sector congratulated both Panday and Manning. The organisations praised Panday for making the offer to meet with Manning to find a solution to the crime situation. They applauded Manning for his immediate acceptance and for the quick scheduling of the meeting.

"Although this is not the first time that the two leaders have met each other on this issue, we trust that their deliberations would be constructive, meaningful and in good faith," the release said.