After Dookeran blanked at rally

DISCORD within the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) seemed to deepen yesterday when at least two members of the party’s executive lashed out at the party’s political leader Winston Dookeran while the Chaguanas Constituency of the party, roundly supported Dookeran and condemned action taken to bar him from speaking at a rally at Rienzi Complex on Monday night.

UNC deputy chairman Vassant Bharath yesterday endorsed the decision to prevent Dookeran from addressing Monday’s rally at Rienzi Complex, Couva in support of jailed UNC chairman Basdeo Panday.

Bharath made his feelings clear in an interview with Newsday following yesterday’s sitting of the Senate at which he was an acting Senator in place of Sadiq Baksh, who is out of the country.

“The members of the UNC executive who were asked to speak at the rally, were those persons who had been involved in the process from the inception, attending court with Mr Panday and who stood side by side with him,” Bharath said.

In contrast, he added, Dookeran never attended court when Panday’s case was taking place nor did he phone to enquire as to how things were going. Another executive member, Jack Warner also waded into Dookeran, telling the rally on Monday that Dookeran was never at Panday’s trial to lend support. (SEE PAGE 9A)

“It wasn’t felt that he (Dookeran) was sufficiently part of the process,” Bharath explained.

However, in a swift response to Monday’s exclusion of Dookeran from the rally, the Chaguanas constituency of the UNC issued a release yesterday sharply condemning the party’s executive for stopping Dookeran.

The statement initially empathised with the agony and trauma being suffered by Panday and appreciated his 40 years of political service.

“The constituency however condemns in the strongest possible terms and resents the puerile and pathetic show of disrespect and humiliation accorded to the political leader of the UNC.” The Chaguanas constituency condemned the incident as an unwarranted display of brinkmanship and public party disunity.

“It was being orchestrated in full public view by a small cabal of desperate party officials in the face of the harsh justice meted out to the party’s chairman.” The Chaguanas UNC said that in contrast, the sad event (of Panday’s jailing) should instead have been met by party cohesiveness to help mitigate the sadness weighing down UNC members.

“Accordingly the constituency frowns upon and unanimously reprimands the five members of the small cabal who could not operate beyond the narrow, selfish and myopic parameters of their vaulting political agenda and put party above self.”

The release added that all party leaders and members realise the gravity of the crisis in which the UNC has been plunged and must conduct themselves with good sense and dignity to face the monumental challenges that lie ahead.

The group also said it stands by Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran in light of what it called a futile bid by the national executive to replace him by an unelected member.

Panday, a former Prime Minister, was on Monday jailed for two years with hard labour by Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls after being found guilty of not declaring a London bank account to the Integrity Commission.

Asked if it was wrong to stop a party’s political leader from addressing the party, Bharath replied, “A leader should lead by example. But Mr Dookeran has been holding separate meetings with his caucus.”

Further, Bharath hit Dookeran for supporting Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran and St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming. Asked if Dookeran should stay on as political leader after the incident at Rienzi on Monday, Bharath said, “He’ll have to decide.”