NACTA Poll: Nation mixed on Panday’s arrest

WHILE the majority of the population appears to disapprove of the manner in which Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday was arrested on corruption charges last week, there is also significant support within the population for criminal proceedings against politicians who engage in corruption. These are some of the findings contained in a North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) survey which was released yesterday. The findings were based on interviews conducted over the last week with 231 respondents of different ethnicities.

The majority of the respondents from among all ethnicities expressed their disapproval about the way in which Panday was arrested and said the police “acted injudiciously.” Some Indo-Trinidadians believe Panday’s arrest was a deliberate ploy to shift attention away from the Government and the nation’s anti-corruption laws are being “selectively enforced.” However there are other members of the Indo-Trinidadian community who believe that Panday mishandled the corruption issue as prime minister. They claim Panday and the UNC have forever tarnished the image of Indo-Trinidadians with widespread allegations of corruption and the arrests of several persons affiliated with the UNC.

These people believe this stigma will become widespread until the UNC’s image is cleaned up to show that it is against corruption. While Afro-Trinidadians are not pleased with the timing and manner of Panday’s arrest, they believe the arrest of Panday and others will send a strong message that no one is immune from the law and the PNM Government is serious about fighting corruption. They also support investigations launched by the PNM into corruption allegations made against members of the current Patrick Manning administration. On the issue of the bail sum set against Panday, his wife Oma, former minister Carlos John and UNC financier Ishwar Galbaransingh, the overwhelming majority of respondents felt the bail was too high because none of the four are flight risks.

However many Afro-Trinidadians are not opposed to the bail sum, saying that the magistrates know the appropriate bail sum for the offences alleged to have been committed by the accused. Afro-Trinidadians also said it was instructive to note that at no time in the country’s history has a politician of African descent been charged for corruption as compared to now, when an Indo-Trinidadian politician “is facing several charges for corruption and declaration of assets.” A subsequent NACTA poll will address the political costs and benefits of Panday’s arrest.