Baseless charges against UNC leader

There have been many obstacles placed in his way to prevent him from executing a programme designed to give the UNC a good chance to form the next Government. It is quite clear that there is a deliberate move to have Mr Dookeran kicked out of the party as he was found not to be a puppet leader.

The charge of his inability to lead the party, without any corroborative evidence, is evidently ridiculous. The fact is that Mr Dookeran, in spite of all the attempts to embarrass him, has shown guts and character to articulate the expression of the membership to guide the party in a new direction. The large attendances at meetings where he has been asked to speak is evidence of his ability to lead the UNC in the next general election. The various recent polls are supportive of this trend.

There is empirical evidence to indicate that the UNC, in its old and outdated uniform, cannot win the next general election.

Mr Dookeran’s astute leadership is shown in his determined efforts to widen the support base of the Party and to give it a new direction, a national outlook and a credible image to prepare it as an alternative Party for Government.

A brief look at his past credentials will confirm his ability to lead. His bravery was fully displayed when he was asked to mediate to end the crisis during the failed coup attempt in 1990. He didn’t run away but stayed with us during those dark hours.

He was part of a team under the NAR government where his intellectual ability and professional skills were employed to formulate appropriate policies to arrest a trend of rapid economic decline and to lay the formulation for sustained economic growth. He was responsible for stability in price levels and a stable exchange rate during his five-year term as Governor of the Central Bank by pursuing a sound mix of monetary policy.

It is quite clear, therefore, that empirical evidence and data render the charge of his inability to lead completely ridiculous and totally unfounded. They are baseless, have no merit and cannot be corroborated. It is nothing more than a concocted and determined plan to have him kicked out of the party since he has shown that he is not going to be a puppet leader.

WILLIAM GAFFAR

Tacarigua