Yetming: Nothing wrong in Panday nominating Dookeran

Since, Yetming argued, this did not prevent anyone from challenging Dookeran, nor did it interfere with the right of UNC members to vote for whomever they pleased.

Yetming was responding to the charge that support by the political leader for a candidate was tantamount to Panday "anointing" a leader to succeed him.

Yetming said this was a "nonsense charge." He said that if Panday was of the view that Dookeran was the person most likely to gain the support of the party as well as the wider national community, it was his (Panday’s) democratic right to sign Dookeran’s nomination form. That did not stop the democratic process of elections from taking place, Yetming said.

He added that it was his understanding that Panday had indicated in the past that Dookeran was the person who he would have liked to succeed him. "And what he would have done, what he might be contemplating doing now, is simply signing Dookeran’s nomination form to contest the post of political leader. That is not anointing anyone. And anybody wishing to challenge Dookeran (for the post) can." Yetming contended the machinery in place for the national executive elections allowed anyone to contest the position and every member the right to vote to determine who should lead. "And nobody is trying to prevent the election from taking place," Yetming said. If Panday were to sign Dookeran’s nomination form, this would mean he is "signalling" his support (for Dookeran).

Yetming said that a leader of an organisation had the responsibility to prepare succession plans, to ensure that there was continuity and to groom a successor, so that the organisation is not left in a state of "confusion" when he demits office.

"So he (Panday) would not be doing anything that he (as a leader) is not required to do," the St Joseph MP stated.

"That is a critical role of leadership —developing the people around you, developing for succession — we expect any leader to do that, and a leader who dies or disappears and allows confusion to reign for succession, or for continuity, is a bad leader," Yetming said.

He drew reference to the situation which followed the death of the country’s first prime minister, Eric Williams, who left three deputy political leaders.

It was left up to the then president (Ellis Clarke) to figure out who to appoint as prime minister, Yetming recalled, adding, "I don’t think that that is how it should work."

The dates for submitting nomination papers for the October 2 election for posts on the executive have not yet been set.