Sudama asks Panday: Who are the predators?

FORMER government minister Trevor Sudama yesterday called upon Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday to identify the “predators” who are preventing him resigning as leader of the United National Congress (UNC).

Commenting on the NACTA exit poll which was released on Monday, the former UNC stalwart agreed with the poll’s major finding that Panday is the ruling People’s National Movement’s biggest asset to remaining in government. “That is a perception among a fair amount of the population. He (Panday) is giving a fair amount of credibility to the PNM,” he stated. Sudama scoffed at Panday’s remarks about not resigning for fear of leaving the UNC vulnerable to “predators.” “What is he implying about the membership of the UNC? Are they sheep? That is totally contemptuous,” he declared. The former minister said Panday’s “predators” remark suggests that the UNC leader does not think that any of the current cadre of UNC MPs are worthy to succeed him. Opposition MPs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Winston Dookeran and Kelvin Ramnath were identified by the NACTA poll as possible successors to Panday. All three have denied having leadership ambitions.  “He’s not willing to go. Nobody will challenge him. He’ll get no response from the party,” Sudama added.

 Last week, St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming publicly challenged Panday to make way for new blood and conceded that the UNC’s strategies to regain government since its October 2002 general elections defeat have not worked. Sudama explained it was not a question of “predators” but one of the UNC’s rank and file membership electing Panday’s successor by democratic means. The former minister also said the main strategy behind the UNC’s agitation for constitutional reform was the implementation of a system of proportional representation in Trinidad and Tobago within the shortest possible time. Sudama believed that system should have been introduced in some form when the country’s first Constitution was written in 1962 and felt it would give “much larger representation” than the existing first-past-the-post system. Sudama lamented that ethnic polarisation of voters between the PNM and UNC does not allow for the development of a viable third political force, and this was essential for a healthy democracy in TT. The poll also predicted a snap election in two years and the PNM gaining four additional seats to give it a veto-proof majority.