Panday’s days numbered as Opposition Leader

The eight Mps (out of a 16 member Opposition) who are allegedly supporting Dookeran are Ganga Singh, Gerald Yetming, Manohar Ramsaran, Roodal Moonilal, Nizam Baksh, Gillian Lucky, Fuad Khan (and Dookeran). Asked who the ninth Mp would be, Warner in turn asked: "Whose seat is threatened by the re-entry of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj? You shall get the ninth and the tenth MP very soon," he said. Maharaj replaced Kelvin Ramnath as Couva South MP in 1991, and Ramnath took back the job in 2002.

Warner advised the media that November 11 would be a significant day in the Parliament. "You will see more backbenchers," he said.

Saying that a man’s word was his bond, Warner revealed that Panday had broken a firm commitment to hand over both the political leadership and the Opposition leadership to Dookeran. He said this commitment was supposed to have been implemented during the Budget debate October 2004, but it was felt then that Panday, who was invited to visit India in January 2005, should do so as Opposition Leader. Warner said Panday begged a think-tank consisting of Ganace Ramdial (as chairman), himself (Warner), Gerald Yetming and Vishnu Ramlogan, to look for a replacement for him as Political Leader and Opposition Leader.

And, Warner recalled, in discussing the list of persons who might succeed him in office, when mention was made of Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Panday’s response was very negative. Warner recalled that Panday said some of the most negative things about Persad-Bissessar, (now one of his staunchest supporters). On Maharaj, Warner recalled Panday saying that Maharaj would succeed him "over his dead body." He added that in a private meeting with himself, the late Arnim Smith and Roy Augustus, Panday’s exact words about Maharaj were: "I will use him, massage his (bodypart)... and then spit him out." Warner said if Maharaj felt that by talking nice about Panday he (Panday) would give him power, he (Maharaj) was making the mistake of his life.

Warner said Panday was still occupying the Political Leader’s office at the party’s Rienzi Complex headquarters.

The party’s letterhead, he said, had not been changed to reflect Dookeran’s new status, and none of the party’s facilities or resources or staff were being made available to Dookeran in the way that they were and still are available to Panday. Warner lamented that Dookeran has no place at the party’s headquarters — "Mr Panday’s home." In fact, Warner stated, the CEO, Tim Gopeesingh, had the effrontery to continue to refer to Dookeran in all correspondence to him as the Member for St Augustine.

Warner said therefore it was decided by the team supporting Dookeran to establish offices for the Political Leader in Port-of- Spain, Debe and Scarborough "as a start."

Furthermore, he said, Dookeran would be going through the length and breadth of the country, spreading his vision and plans for taking the UNC back into government. "We must elevate the struggle above Panday and carry the fight to the country," Warner said. And, the Deputy Political Leader stated, it was clear that Panday could not be part of the team that is to be elected into government. He said Panday was losing the support of so many people who were once close to him. He cited Ish Galbaransingh and Patrick Patel.