Interesting political game

Mr Dookeran’s relatively strong reaction is not surprising. He is reluctant to criticise the true source of his travails — the actual UNC leader, Basdeo Panday — and so has reserved his strongest comments for the former —- and perhaps soon-to-be current heir apparent of the party leadership. After all, if Mr Panday decides to anoint Mr Maharaj and, to coin a term, un-anoint Mr Dookeran, it is quite possible that the UNC rank-and-file may switch support to Mr Maharaj.

It is this latter scenario that has truly shaken Mr Dookeran, as well as his cohorts. But Maharaj’s re-emergence appears to have acted as a spur, with Mr Dookeran summoning Mr. Panday and the UNC’s three deputy political leaders to a meeting at his home yesterday morning. Of the three, only Jack Warner is on Mr Dookeran’s slate, but Panday, Kamla Persad Bissessar and Wade Mark duly responded to Mr Dookeran’s call. It is also possible that the Ramesh factor has changed their previous political calculations.

What is clear, though, is that Mr Dookeran is reacting to Mr Maharaj’s statement that Dookeran lacks the capacity to lead the party in Parliament. But, if this statement stings, it is because there is some measure of truth to it. "I will have to deal with them if I am to pursue my goal of offering to the nation a new kind of political leadership," said Mr Dookeran. Bold words, but Mr Dookeran has so far been quite lacklustre as a leader, unable or unwilling to outmanoeuvre Mr Panday, and certainly not displaying any kind of charisma. It is not that this latter trait is necessary, for this country has been ill-served by charismatic leaders. Most importantly, he has certainly not presented any convincing image of leadership, new or old, to the national community.

By contrast, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is respected as a man of prodigious energy, even by those who distrust his motives. More legislation was passed under his tenure than any other Attorney General, with the key drawbacks that some of these laws contravened the Constitution or otherwise infringed on citizens’ rights. On the other hand, the Freedom of Information Act, which was Mr Maharaj’s brainchild, has helped deepen our democracy, to the extent where the present Government has been so greatly discomfited that they are seeking to undermine the FOI as much as possible.

However, it is Mr Maharaj’s very energy and ambition which may make the foxy Mr Panday reluctant to give him a clear seal of approval. Given Mr Panday’s behaviour since Mr Dookeran was elected unopposed as Political Leader, it seems likely that Mr Panday believed that Mr Dookeran could be easily controlled and is now miffed to find that this is not the case. But Mr Panday already knows that Mr Maharaj is a different beast so, if Mr Panday retains political ambitions, he will try to use Mr Maharaj for his own ends while retaining the option to sideline him.

It is an interesting political game but, even as the UNC players continue their shenanigans, they continue to lose credibility in the eyes of the national audience. And, in the final analysis, it is that audience the UNC has to impress if it wants to run the government again.