Panday blows hot and cold at President’s luncheon

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday appeared to blow hot and cold towards the presiding officers of Parliament, Dr Linda Baboolal and Barry Sinanan, when he attended a luncheon for visiting Botswana President Festus Mogae at President’s House yesterday. Arriving virtually unnoticed around 1 pm, Panday promptly started to mingle with the assembled guests, one of whom was Baboolal.  The Senate President did not seem to need protection from the large contingent of Government Ministers encircling her as she chatted cordially with Panday for considerable lengths of time.

However Sinanan was not as fortunate as Baboolal to experience the Opposition Leader’s legendary charm with Panday turning and speaking to other persons even when the two men had their backs to one another. Prior to going to lunch, neither man spoke to one another. Panday was also observed in keen conversation with the Prime Minister, Attorney-General Glenda Morean, Education Minister Hazel Manning and Erica Williams-Connell, daughter of the country’s first Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams. The guest list for yesterday’s luncheon included a wide cross-section of persons from the political, judicial, educational and business spheres and members of the diplomatic corps.

Among those present were Chief Justice Sat Sharma, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London, Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams, UWI Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Bhoe Tewarie, Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Browne, San Fernando Mayor Gerard Ferreira and Government Ministers Danny Montano, Eric Williams, Joan Yuille-Williams, Christine Sahadeo, Diane Seukeran and Pennelope Beckles. On Thursday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning told a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall that the UNC’s attacks against Sinanan and Baboolal were because they were East Indians. Asked how the Government would protect them, Manning reminded reporters that the PNM had a clear majority in the Lower House and a not-so clear majority in the Senate. He added that if necessary, Government would use its numerical strength to protect Sinanan and Baboolal.