Panday: No co-operation with Govt

The Opposition United National Congress (UNC) yesterday took its struggle for constitutional reform one step further when its leader, Basdeo Panday ann-ounced that parliamentarians would totally boycott all legislation from the ruling PNM Government. Panday told his UNC audience there will be total non co-operation with the Government on legislation.

In his feature address at the party’s 14th anniversary celebrations at Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas, Panday sent the message to his supporters that the battle cry is “constitutional reform.” He hinted that soon the party would launch an intensive struggle which he said would cripple the Government. Panday called on all his MPs to set up shadow information centres throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The objective he said, was to deal with all complaints from the electorate, particularly those in which people were being treated unfairly and unjustly. The “Command Centre” manning the operations of the constituency centres, he said, will be the new offices of the Opposition Leader, located on two floors in Port-of-Spain. Panday told his supporters that soon his offices would be equipped with the staff to handle all complaints. Panday is setting up a complaints desk as well, the operation of wich is all tied to the UNC’s struggle for constitutional reform.

Panday said it was the result of the unwillingness of the PNM Government to initiate constitutional reform, which he said was needed in a society that was so divided in many ways. “The PNM has shown that it is not interested in constitutional reform. We will employ every legal means to force it. And to that end, there will be non-co-operation in all legislation in order that we can end the injustices in this society,” Panday declared.  At yesterday’s ceremony the party handed out awards to many of its stalwarts. Among them were John Humphrey, Wade Mark, Dr Roodal Moonilal, John Agitation, and John Jaglal.