UNC needs three leaders to defeat PNM

WHEN THE Opposition United National Congress (UNC) launched its election campaign at a public meeting in Gasparillo on Friday night, chairman, Basdeo Panday said while the present two-pronged leadership is “working miracles” for the party, a third leader would do the “best job” of ensuring an electoral victory against the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM). In his address to supporters at Gasparillo Junction, Panday said the task of toppling the ruling PNM would be “monumental” and the workload was too much for a single person. He cited the example of last Thursday when political leader Winston Dookeran was touring the flood-stricken areas of Central Trinidad, while  meetings were taking place at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition with members of the business community and the police.

In the crowd was former UNC minister Dhanraj Singh, but he remained in the background all night. “We were able to do two things together, so with the load being divided the party is doing much more work,” he said. “If two men can do a better job, three men will do the best job,” Panday declared, eliciting loud applause from supporters, who braved a slight drizzle to hear the veteran politician’s address. While he did not identify a possible “third leader,” the Opposition Leader said the UNC had to forget past wrongs done against it and embrace former and current party dissidents.  

“Those who allow the chains of the past to chain them to the present will never move into the future. I propose to do all in my power to unite this party and confront the Government as a united force,” he said. “I have committed myself to doing all in my power to unite all of the forces in this monumental battle that we have against the PNM.” On another subject, Panday claimed unequal treatment meted out to Opposition members by the Integrity Commission.

He said Attorney General John Jeremie had failed to include a number of items in his register of interest statements, was given an opportunity to adjust the statement and was not hauled before the courts. Panday further claimed that the Commission wrote a “love letter” to the AG for the items to be included. These included his service on the Board of the now-defunct National Broadcasting Network (NBN),  properties at Westmoorings and income received as a lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI).