Panday hints at motion against Speaker

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday put Speaker of the House of Representatives Barry Sinanan on notice that the United National Congress (UNC) could bring a no-confidence motion against him if he “continues the way he (Sinanan) is going”. The UNC leader also charged that the police were afraid to deal with criminals because of the “symbiotic relationship” between them and the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM).

Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) at his Charles Street office yesterday, Panday repeated the Opposition’s concerns about the removal of a no-confidence motion against Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal from the Senate Order Paper on Tuesday. While declining to say whether the UNC would reintroduce that motion, Panday hinted there was a strong possibility that a similar one could be brought against Sinanan in the Lower House. He said the Opposition’s non-support for the Anti-Kidnapping Bill and other legislation remains unchanged. The UNC leader added that co-operation with the Government on such legislation paled in comparison to the wider discrimination in society and the Opposition was not backing down on its calls for Constitutional Reform.

Panday insisted that the Bill was a red herring being used to cover up Government’s ties to criminal elements in Trinidad and Tobago. He claimed the police were unable to deal with criminals because they were afraid to tackle friends of the political directorate. Panday said if the police were unable to protect the citizens, ordinary people should do whatever is necessary within the law to protect themselves and supported Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan’s formation of his Guardian Angels group. He said the UNC was considering whether businessmen should be supplied with guns and repeated Opposition claims that $61 million in Israeli surveillance equipment was being used against opponents of the Government.

DOMA president Gregory Aboud lamented that his Association was unable to get Panday to budge on the Opposition’s unwillingness to support Government’s anti-crime legislation. However he was optimistic that DOMA had ignited a new view on the issue within Panday. Aboud said while he understood Panday’s views on Constitutional Reform, damage was being done to the country’s reputation in the interim. “I don’t think we have a lot of time. We are at a crossroads in the history of our country,” he warned. The DOMA president said his organisation would be undaunted in its task to narrow the gap between the two major political parties and urged other business organisations to join them. He said the population should be ashamed about having allowed the current political system to have lasted so long. On the issue of guns for businessmen, Aboud said DOMA believed there was a specific process to be followed.