Black and white facts

If no one else is fit to lead the UNC, what would happen if Basdeo Panday dropped dead in the morning? I guess the party will be buried with him. Everyone, it seems, is “unfit to lead” except Panday. Panday’s scurrilous character assassination of Kamla is bound to backfire, because he has chosen his very own perceived weakness to tarnish her. Who can forget the appeal to the media to stop taking photos of PM Panday with a drink in a glass in his hand? The media was castigated for portraying Panday as a constant drinker. Now that Panday is trying to fit his shoe on Kamla’s foot, most see it as a blatant case of “pot calling kettle black.” People are outraged by it. Kamla has risen to the occasion, and is engaging and demonstrating the depth of her political experience. Her symbolic walk through the crowd at Panday’s launch in her constituency was a master stroke. It sent a clear message that she was not afraid and will not be intimidated. Her speeches have focused on the issues, and struck a chord with the UNC faithful.

Although I was pilloried and vilified in the last general election for saying Panday was responsible for the closure of Caroni, Kamla has now made a similar criticism. It is a fact. Panday mishandled Caroni. The closure of Caroni was started by the Panday government, which was ready to dismantle it and sell it off. The budgetary allocations needed to revive the company were not forthcoming, and the company went from bad to worse. Panday, once the champion of the barefoot labourers in the sugar cane estates, was a different man as Prime Minister. When Penal and Barrackpore flooded out, he and Oma left on a plane to attend the christening of Lawrence Duprey’s grandson. He and Oma busied themselves learning to play golf, as they hobnobbed with the Port-of-Spain elite. He was seduced by the very parasitic oligarchy he once condemned, and turned his back on his people, opting to leave the fate of fledging Caroni in the hands of the Gerry Hospedales-led divestment committee and the technocrats at the Ministry of Finance.

Kamla launched a scathing counter-attack this week, and made a compelling critical assessment of Panday’s leadership. She recited “the black and white facts” about his failing leadership. A critical review shows:

1. Panday has not won a general election since 2001.
2. He has lost two general elections and drawn one (18/18).
3. The number of seats in Parliament for the UNC has steadily decreased from 20 in 2000 to 15 at present.
4. The UNC-controlled local government corporations have steadily decreased.
5. More than 100,000 supporters defected to the COP.
6. His contributions in Parliament have steadily declined (both in terms of frequency and quality).
7. The dismantling of Caroni 1975, Ltd started under his administration.
8. He sidelined his frontline Indian supporters in favour of non-supporters to such an extent, that the plum positions in his cabinet and significant control of state power were given to strangers. Examples include Brian Kuei Tung and Gerald Yetming (Finance), Mervyn Assam Trade, Industry and Commerce), Carlos John (Infrastructure), Jerlean John (Transport), Lindsay Gillette (Energy).
9. He has destroyed, buried and  resurrected more Indian politicians than the PNM   
10. Claims he didn’t know his wife received $10 million from Duprey and is now before the criminal courts.

Panday’s attack on Kamla could backfire. People are upset and hurt. One friend sent me the following e-mail: “If Kamla is such a bad person, did someone put a gun to Panday's head to appoint her as AG, Minister of Education and Acting PM? “Why did he continue to allow her to represent the people of Siparia? Are her constituents stupid to vote for her in such large numbers in each general election? “How could he allow such a horrible person to represent his party in Parliament? Is it desperation on Panday’s part or poor judgment all these years? “It is time to take him out of his political misery and relegate him to the footnote that he will eventually occupy when the political history of this country is written. “Were it not for the egos of Panday and Ramesh, we would still be in government. People should not forget this!” Indeed.

by Anand Ramlogan