Here comes Senator Ramesh

AS THE battle rages for the heart and soul of the UNC, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj comes in out of the cold into the Senate. According to reliable sources yesterday, Maharaj a former Attorney General of the UNC administration whose dramatic break with the Panday Government in 2001, led to its demise, is to be appointed a senator by his former boss, Basdeo Panday. Maharaj, sources said, is to enter the Senate at the expense of Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan. Seepersad-Bachan had unsuccessfully contested the position of Deputy Political Leader on the Progressive slate. Sources said Maharaj and Panday held several meetings, the last of which was Saturday. During those meetings sources said, Panday agreed that if he became Prime Minister again, Maharaj would assume his previous post as Attorney General.

Maharaj’s break up with the UNC over allegations of corruption, had been a major blow to Panday and his Government. But ironically the split between Panday and the former friend and second-in-command after Maharaj had successfully contested the post of Deputy Political Leader leading a slate against what was thought to be Panday’s preferred candidate, Carlos John. Many had seen Maharaj as Panday’s heir apparent and had viewed him as one of the brightest stars in the political firmament. All this until his break with Panday which ended with his being fired as AG and later expelled from the party. Maharaj then formed Team Unity, which failed to win a single seat in the 2001 General Elections. With the exception of Maharaj,  all other Team Unity candidates including former UNC Ministers Ralph Maraj and Trevor Sudama, lost their deposits.

But despite all this, even his strongest detractors concede that the human rights lawyer had distinguished himself in the office of Attorney General and that his presence in the UNC would boost the party’s chances in the upcoming election, given the fact that crime is the number one problem. Sources wondered yesterday how Maharaj’s proposed return to the UNC fold will affect Winston Dookeran’s leadership. Sources also wondered whether Dookeran as political leader was consulted or whether he had anything to do with Maharaj’s proposed recall and his reported senatorial appointment. Panday, as Opposition Leader, has the sole authority to appoint and revoke the appointment of Senators. Maharaj is expected to take his seat in the Senate sometime this week. Neither Panday nor Maharaj were available for comment yesterday.