Panday, Ramesh kiss and make up

If the UNC’s Unity Platform at Mid Centre Mall in Chaguanas was a battle of political strength, Basdeo Panday won by a landslide, demonstrating beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was still the dominant political force in the opposition. For the large crowd delivered a ringing endorsement of all his initiatives especially the return of Maharaj, as well as all actions Panday had taken and plans to take against those "indisciplined" elements within the party.

Maharaj was duly apologetic, expressing his remorse for all the "pain and hurt" he had caused. "I love you and I missed you. And I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I didn’t have political tabanca (during those years in the political wilderness)," he said, sounding like a lover pleading for reconciliation.

During that time, he said, whenever "I saw you, my heart would beat faster and faster." The crowd roared its approval.

Maharaj, a vital factor in the struggle for control, between those supporting Panday and those supporting Dookeran, said this was the time for unity, togetherness and peace. Calling on all hands to be on deck, he appealed to his listeners not to allow the past to hinder unity and to allow the bright future to be jeopardised by pettiness.

"We have to move on...with malice towards none and charity to all. Bind your wounds so we can heal quickly," he beseeched. Maharaj focused on the Chandra Naraynsingh murder trial, the "harassment of a great political individual" (Panday) and the Sadiq Baksh affair to support his thesis about abuse of power by the State. Saying the prosecution process was being used to target individuals of a certain ethnicity, he said Prime Minister Patrick Manning would never have moved against former Chief Justices Clinton Bernard and Michael De La Bastide.

He said Chief Justice Sat Sharma was attempting to stop the administration of justice being brought into disrepute when he intervened in the Naraynsingh matter. Maharaj hinted that he would be joining Panday’s legal team ("I have asked for the Panday file") since a "grave injustice" was being done to Panday. Maharaj said he still believed integrity and honesty in public life were important, but felt equally strong that the prosecution process should not be abused. By the time Maharaj was finished all his sins were forgiven, judging by the crowd’s reaction. Panday pushed the view that unity symbolised by Maharaj’s return was a necessary prerequisite to the UNC beating the PNM in any upcoming elections.

But the "lion" also went on the warpath, slamming those who didn’t want unity — "miscreants" he described them, who ran to the media talking about the party’s internal affairs, making the UNC the laughing stock of its political foes; those who wanted to cancel the Rally, those who wanted to boycott it and who said that they wouldn’t come once Maharaj was on the platform.

"Surely they must know that without unity, we cannot win," Panday said. "They want to win but only if they are in total control...Some of them suffer from an inferiority complex...afraid of anyone bigger and tougher than they are," he said.

He did not name names but the audience seemed to know exactly who their leader was referring to, causing them to say things like, "Shot boy!". He said the reaction of some members to the return of Maharaj left the party faithful wandering whose side they were on.

Panday vowed that he would not allow "some neophytes" to threaten the organisation with death, " to destroy a child whose birth they were not around for."

Panday concluded with a warning: "I will protect this party against all attackers. As I said of my government, No one will unjustly attack it and escape unscathed."