Khan and Montano out of touch

THE EDITOR: The member of parliament for San Juan/Barataria, Dr Fuad Khan, is very close to convincing me that I should never vote again. At a time when I genuinely thought that the UNC was coming around and had finally understood the need to modernise itself to become the home of a modern electorate, Dr Khan could not resist coming forward once again to act like a spoilt child with a bad temper. And now he has the support of the over-ambitious newcomer, UNC Senator Robin Montano. The St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran delivered a brilliant paper entitled “An Agenda for Transformation” at a recent UNC retreat. I had a chance to see the document and was encouraged by his understanding of the problems facing the UNC and the demands on the party to transform itself into a viable entity.

The UNC is presently on a path resembling that of the DLP in its final days back in 1976 and it appears that Dookeran understands that as he holds back nothing in spelling out the fate the party would suffer unless it took steps to make itself relevant. However, true to form, Dr Khan was the first to voice a negative view, basically saying that modernisation would mean nothing with PNM house padding and that the party must continue with non-cooperation and civil disobedience. Montano agreed! And by that statement alone, both men have shown how completely out of touch they have become with the support base of the UNC. In addition, if that argument held water, the NAR experience would never have come about.

They are apparently unaware of how much they embarrass their supporters whenever they act like indisciplined children in the Parliament. They seem unaware of how angry they make supporters when they whine and carry on about problems without themselves presenting alternative solutions. They also seem clueless as to how deeply upset they get supporters when the first thing to come out of their mouths is: “We are working on this, we are working on that.” In the end, they do nothing. No one can tell me that it takes this long to file a judicial review or a constitutional motion regarding Government expenditure during the 18-18 deadlock. What is clear to me is that Dr Khan and Montano and the others who share their views are afraid that they will have to start acting and working like real politicians if Dookeran becomes leader.

This situation reminds me of a letter I read in the newspaper some time ago by a Central resident, Harry Ramnarace, who remarked: “The East Indian population has never been able to unite and remain united in purpose and ideals. Every time in history that an Indo-based party showed promise and could be seen as a credible alternative Government, one of its own members would surface to completely destroy its chances in a variety of ways.” While an East Indian myself I took offence at the statement, there was hardly a way to dispute Mr Ramnarace’s argument. Now Dr Khan is proving the man right. Dr Khan expressed the view that Mr Dookeran’s paper was purely academic and his perspectives were wrong. He is in favour of the current modus operandi of the UNC. But the threadbare rhetoric and war zone language the UNC has tried to inspire supporters with has all but caused an exodus from the party. Their political position and constant whining have become a source of great anger and disenchantment. So far, the UNC has misbehaved, insulted and cried murder. Fewer and fewer people are listening. I would venture to say that if the UNC called on its supporters right now to come together for a solidarity march, not for more than 1,000 people will turn out. Not out of fear, but out of outrage.

Montano has also ensured that his two cents were thrown in. He shares Dr Khan’s views and even went further to justify his unbecoming behaviour in the Senate and at press conferences. I even think he enjoys the ‘bad boy’ sobriquet and has leadership ambitions. But both Dr Khan and Montano have lost sight of a real understanding of the needs of the UNC support base and the ways and means of delivering on those needs. They are battling along old political lines without the understanding of how the electorate has changed. A number of people have come out against Mr Dookeran’s leadership with various reasons which amount to their lack of understanding of the need for a modern kind of leadership. While Dr Khan and Montano see leadership as being a position of authority over a faithful flock, Dookeran understands that nothing lasts forever and the party needs to adopt an approach that fits modern demands of participation, one that represents the future, not the past.

Unless the UNC takes the good advice of Dookeran and ensures that he is in a position of leadership to institute a process of transformation, the party will one day find itself with meager support and little chance of ever controlling a regional corporation, far less a parliamentary seat.
It is not to say that the UNC will lose supporters to the PNM. Rather, unless changes are made, the UNC will simply become a useless entity facing a powerful governing party and also a new and significantly large non-voting population.
This is why Dookeran deserves a hearty vote of public confidence as he has identified a need to transform the UNC in preparation for the next general election as the party needs to begin responding to the needs of the very fickle modern society. That said, Dr Khan, Montano and others need to stop responding to echoes of civil disobedience and misbehaviour of the past.

CHE RAMSINGH
Port-of-Spain