Ramesh to set Dookeran straight

Maharaj told Newsday that while he had no idea of what transpired during Wednesday’s meeting of high level UNC officials at Dookeran’s Trincity home, he would be "very happy" if it resulted in greater unity within the party as it prepares to wrest political power away from the ruling PNM at the polls.

Among those participating in Wednesday’s meeting were Panday, Dookeran and party deputy leaders Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Wade Mark and Jack Warner. While all of the participants have refused to give specifics about the meeting, Panday reiterated immediately afterwards that he is not resigning as Opposition Leader.

Dismissing Dookeran’s claims that his statements on UNC matters are an attempt to resurrect his political career, Maharaj said the UNC political leader cannot dispute the fact that he cannot replace Panday as Opposition Leader purely on the basis of their respective political track records. The former AG further dismembered Dookeran’s arguments by revealing that he has been meticulously studying the Parliament’s Hansard from 2002 (when Dookeran re-entered politics and was elected St Augustine MP) to 2005. Maharaj added that anything he says about the respective parliamentary contributions of Panday and Dookeran is scientific and educated, contrary to Dookeran’s public utterances.

Explaining that the post of Opposition Leader was both a constitutional and political matter, Maharaj said Dookeran and his followers had no case in either arena to prove that Panday should not remain in that post. Constitutionally, the former AG said the issue does not arise because Dookeran cannot submit a letter to President George Maxwell Richards saying that he commands the support of at least nine UNC MPs in the Lower House. Ganga Singh, Gerald Yetming, Manohar Ramsaran and Gillian Lucky are the only Lower House Opposition MPs who have publicly said they would support Dookeran as Opposition Leader.

Politically, Maharaj said Panday was elected party chairman in the UNC’s October 2 national executive elections and it was agreed then that he would remain as Opposition Leader while Dookeran would serve as political leader. Singh and Yetming have claimed that Panday broke a promise to sign a letter to the President saying Dookeran should be sworn in as Opposition Leader. On these grounds, Maharaj said "no right thinking (UNC) member" in the Lower House could support Dookeran as Opposition Leader.

Maharaj noted that the Constitution clearly distinguishes between the Leader of the Opposition and the "political leader of the Opposition" in the Parliament.

He said he will respond in full to all of Dookeran’s verbal attacks against him, matters involving the UNC and next week’s Lower House debate on Government’s handling of the crime situation at an ACT TT public meeting in Gulf View, La Romaine, on November 13 at 2 pm.

Maharaj said there was no arrangement with Panday for them to speak on a joint platform, but he would be willing to do so if he was invited by Panday.