Ganga resigns

“The continuing abuse of power by some, who are not even elected Parliamentarians, manifested itself recently in the “cabal style” conspiracy to avert the scrutiny, opinion and consultation with the parliamentary caucus of this Opposition on a critical matter of national concern,” he said.

Singh was supposed to be talking on the Vernon Paul motion, which he had filed. But by the end of this contribution, Singh had uttered not one word about Paul or about the PNM, training his guns exclusively on his own party colleagues.

He slammed the UNC’s dual leadership structure describing it as “a deformed political creature” conceived out of “petulance on a bed of deceit, betrayal and selfishness”. He said he had hoped that in the fullness of time, good sense and wisdom would have prevailed, bringing an end to this two-headed structure.

“Sadly, when recently, the opportunity presented itself to heal this deformity, we see instead that the deformed political creature continues to be perpetuated, the result of party politics gone mad!”

The PNM MPs banged their desks as Singh, a lone figure in the front bench, spoke. (His Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her supporters had walk out on him moments before).

He added : “The malady in the body politic runs deep and the desperate cry for the panecea of unity rings hollow.”

Singh stated that after trying for seven months of nurturing this political creature, he felt compelled to admit that it was unworkable, impractical and not in the best interest of the party.

Singh who described as “flagrantly unjust, without basis, and wholly undeserved”, the attempts and threats to remove him from the office of Chief Whip, stated: “It is in these circumstances, after frank discussions with the Political Leader and members of the Caroni East Constituency Executive, and with their collective support, that I now inform the House of my resignation from the position of Chief Whip with immediate effect.”

Singh recalled that the minute he made a plea for the politics of principle and signalled his refusal to “sleep with the devil”, statements were made (by the party Chairman Basdeo Panday) that those comments would be his last as Chief Whip.

It is understood that Political Leader Winston Dookeran, who has the authority of naming a Chief Whip, plans to propose Oropouche MP Roodal Moonilal as the new Whip.