Panday held the stage this time

THE EDITOR: I could not help but admire the speech by Mr Basdeo Panday, honourable leader of the opposition at the budget debate.  He didn’t leave out a thing in his well-articulated and hard-hitting comments. He certainly got his penny’s worth as far as I am concerned and then some.  I am glad I never supported his detractors who wanted him to “ride out.” In my whole life of not quite knowing why I was put on this earth and especially this silly country, I feel that one of the few things I do enjoy is a speech by Mr Panday. I laughed and laughed at his unerring criticisms of government and especially took a malicious pleasure in seeing the dour faces of the government ministers.

If looks could kill, I thought. I imagined those PNM supporters who were looking at television and wishing the same thing. At one point Mr Rowley and Mr Imbert tried to make some backyard responses, but were firmly put in their places by Mr Panday. The stage was clearly his this time. I am glad that the media brought it live, as we all know how media houses with political ambitions distort and “doctor” what they report second-hand. Sadly, however, from what I saw in the faces of the government side reminded me of ducks’ backs and I was not even sure they understood the “good English” as spoken by Panday. They tried to cover that up by looking bored and started getting up and walking about.  Anyway, I know that for all who were listening to the speech they were not disappointed and I felt as if somebody is up to date with things.

SUE SANKAR
Chaguanas