We will win 2007 election

OPPOSITION Leader Basdeo Panday kicked off his nationwide tour of all 36 constituencies yesterday, when he visited the Oropouche constituency and made a bold prediction that the United National Congress (UNC) would win the 2007 general elections. Speaking to reporters as he visited the burnt-out chemical factory at Cuchawan Trace in Debe, Panday said the party lost the last general elections by a margin of less than 2,000. And in response to  questions concerning the party’s readiness for the 2007 general elections, Panday said: “We are surely going to win the next elections,” he said. Panday acknowledged, however, that the reshaping of electoral boundaries could result in more votes for the Opposition party.

Panday’s touring of all constituencies takes place against the background of the current stand-off between himself and Pointe-a-Pierre Gillian Lucky and San Juan/Barataria MP Dr Fuad Khan. Panday’s constituency tour of Oropouche also took him to the Debe Presbyterian School, where he exhorted students to “get a good education.” “Education is the key to get out of your problems, but you must also have the courage to fight and struggle for what you want,” Panday said. MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said the constituency visit formed part of UNC’s thrust to highlight the numerous problems facing rural communities including neglect of the road network system and the lack of potable water supply.

Also accompanying Panday were Nariva MP Harry Partap; UNC CEO Dr Tim Gopeesingh; Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Dr Allen Sammy and Princes Town Regional Corporation chairman Kemchan Ramcham. Panday blasted the Environ-mental Management Authority (EMA) for not responding “with any degree of haste” to complaints by Cuchawan residents’ claims of breathing toxic fumes from the burnt-out chemical plant. “The EMA has not responded adequately to the needs of this community.

The people are clealy suffering and they (EMA) have not even given the all-clear to remove the barrels from the site,” Panday said. Panday asked if the response would have been different had the tragedy occurred along the East-West corridor. He was surrounded by dozens of villagers and he listened intently as they told of their plight since the fire. Dhanraj Birbal, four, and his eight-month-old baby brother, Vishal, were brought out by their parents onto the road for Panday to look at their eyes and skin. Dhanraj has boils on his eyelids while Vishal has a skin irritation.