NY UNC squabbling over Panday-Ramesh meeting

Sources yesterday said one group wants to hold a meeting in New York towards the end of January, while the second group wants to stage the meeting in February or March. In November, Maharaj said he had accepted an invitation from the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (Gopio) to speak on a joint platform with Panday in New York.

Newsday understands that the two men were being billed to speak at meetings in Brooklyn and Queens in New York this month. Panday has not indicated as yet whether he would speak at these meetings. UNC political leader Winston Dookeran has not been invited to speak at these meetings.

Certain political sources are claiming that Panday may be more receptive to either February or March meetings in New York because "something big is planned for the ending of January in Trinidad." However, these sources were tight-lipped about what this could be.

Talk of Maharaj’s return to the UNC has created a wide divergence of views within the party as to whether or not his return would help the UNC to win the next elections. The ruling PNM has said it will defeat the UNC in the next general elections regardless of the composition of its leadership. The next general elections in Trinidad and Tobago are constitutionally due in 2007, but Prime Minister Patrick Manning has repeatedly thrown out the idea that the elections could be held before that time.