Kamla, Bas battle it out

Persad-Bissessar attacked the competence of Panday and the integrity of Tabaquite MP Ramesh Maharaj at a “Kamla for leader” rally at Tunapuna Hindu School on Thursday night.

Further, she alleged the two men were concocting a deal ahead of the elections, and that each man has also been involved in deals with the ruling PNM.

Persad-Bissessar cast doubt on Panday’s competence by saying that after the 18-18 seat tie of 2001, she had found legal arguments that favoured Panday to be returned as Prime Minister (PM), only for him to go and sign the Crowne Plaza Accord which let President Arthur Robinson instead appoint PNM leader Patrick Manning as the PM.

Persad-Bissessar said Panday had neglected to ask her advice.

Calling Maharaj the “file man” and “deal man”, she stormed, “He’s an agent of the PNM.”

Rejecting claims by her rivals that she would sell out to the COP. “Why now when you elect me leader of the UNC would I give up the leadership to go and be a deputy in someone else’s party?” Panday, at a meeting in Barrackpore on Thursday, however insisted there was an alliance between COP, Persad-Bissessar and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner. “We are witnessing a political marriage between Jack Warner and Kamla to get rid of Panday and then take the political base of the UNC and deliver it to Winston Dookeran,” he said.