Mark: Resurrect Panday

The National Assembly is the UNC’s highest decision-making forum which is equivalent to the annual party convention of the PNM.

The party also recently had a meeting of its National Congress which is its governing core (like the PNM general council), and which approved a motion to reject the resignation letter of former chairman Basdeo Panday, who himself urged the body to defer a motion by the National Executive to expel political leader Winston Dookeran.

Both motions are still alive and likely to come before the National Assembly.

Accusing the Government of trying to destroy the UNC by destroying Panday, Mark told UNC members, “You must resurrect Panday.” Mark scoffed, “They sent Basdeo Panday at age 72 years to jail because he didn’t declare a bank account?” Supporters should back the UNC so it could help them, said Mark.

He asked “Without the UNC who will defend you?”

Mark accused the Government of trying to hijack the judiciary, a move which he said could hurt anyone going to court to seek justice. He remarked, “If the Maha Sabha didn’t go to court, do you think they were getting their radio licence? Manning wants to give it to Louis Lee Sing only.”

The Government, said Mark, wants to introduce tyranny.

Mark noted that former president Sir Ellis Clarke had recently said a prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago has too much power under the Constitution, and that anti-violence campaigner Diana Mahabir-Wyatt had criticised the presence of armed policemen at the attempted arrest of Chief Justice Sat Sharma, officers whom the police later said were not arresting Sharma but were his security detail.

Mark said a bill is now before Parliament to increase the number of High Court judges. The Government, he claimed, wants new judges who are in favour of the PNM. “So that when you go to court for justice, on the judge’s forehead would be marked ‘PNM’”.

Mark accused the Government of stealing ideas from the UNC’s 2000 general election manifesto to improve old age pensions, which a UNC Government would have implemented between 2000 and 2005.

Mark said Manning in this upcoming National Budget would now raise pensions, cut the qualifying age from 65 to 60 years and raise the ceiling from $12,000 to $16,000 per year on what a pensioner can earn without losing his public pension.