All MPs want Panday gone

FORMER Government minister Mervyn Assam disclosed that the other 14 United National Congress (UNC) parliamentarians have been secretly saying for months what Gerald Yetming stated publicly on Thursday in an exclusive Newsday story— Basdeo Panday must go now. Assam told Newsday on Thursday that when he first said that Panday should “ride out into the sunset”, Yetming was one of four people who severely criticised him. He identified the other three individuals as UNC chairman Wade Mark and Opposition MPs Ganga Singh and Kelvin Ramnath. “ I am happy that at last Mr Yetming has seen the light,” he said. However Assam went further, saying his former colleagues were “hypocrites” for not revealing their true feelings about Panday remaining as UNC political leader or being surprised at Yetming’s statements. “Everyone of them, without exception, have said that Panday must go,” he declared. The former minister said all 15 Opposition MPs have been expressing that feeling amongst themselves and at private functions but would not dare say it directly to the UNC leader.
“They are cowards,” Assam added.

Assam said when he first called upon Panday to resign, he was doing it to save the UNC from political demise and Trinidad and Tobago from “a one-party state”. The former Minister maintained that this was the danger the UNC was leaving the country open to if it did not clean house as a matter of urgency. He reiterated that such a scenario, regardless of whichever party holds the reins of government, would not be healthy for TT in the long run. Assam also dismissed a UNC statement which claimed his call for Panday’s resignation was a case of “sour grapes”.