Dookeran and most of the MPs who attended the meeting had already
left when the drama unfolded amidst the verbal exchange studded
with colourful expletives, eyewitnesses related.
While several persons scampered for their own safety, Councillor
in the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation Allan Seepersad
wrestled his way between both men and succeeded in quelling the
altercation.
Among others who assisted in bringing the situation under control
were Chaguanas Mayor Surujrattan Rambachan, Deputy Mayor Orlando
Nagessar, and Councillors Narsingh Rambaran, Boya Sahadeo and Sahadeo
Boondoo.
Both Ramsaran and Sharma played down the incident when contacted.
The post-meeting drama downstairs was a carryover from the actual
meeting, which sprung into high suspense when CEO of the UNC, Dr.
Tim Gopeesingh, presented the report of the national executive.
Gopeesingh reported that a public meeting was planned for February
19 at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas.
Senator Robin Montano immediately jumped at his throat and wanted
to know why Gopeesingh did not tell the meeting that former Attorney
General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj was scheduled to speak at the meeting
even though this was being carried in certain media.
Montano, in his usual fiery style, rejected the manner in which
Maharaj’s return was being engineered.
He indicated that Maharaj was expelled by the party and cannot be
embraced by the party until the rank and file and the institutions
of the party have a collective say in the matter.
Montano then moved a motion to that effect, which was seconded by
Sam Sinanan.
At that point, Sharma was reported to have become hopping mad and
wildly pointed to a conspiracy.
He claimed Montano’s motion was “orchestrated”
and was out of order. Montano challenged him to specify the procedure
for moving his motion, leaving Chandresh stumped.
David John, representing Arima, stated that the rank and file took
the decision to expel Maharaj and the said rank and file cannot
be excluded from the decision to bring him back.
He warned that there could be repercussions if the grass-roots members
were not consulted in congress.
A UNC MP pointed out that Maharaj was expelled from the party and
his reentry must be done in a structured and transparent way.
He said: “You cannot just jump up, hug up and kiss and expect
the country to buy that.
“This is a fundamental issue and it must be discussed in the
institutions of the party, in caucus, in congress, and in the parliamentary
arm.
“To do otherwise will lead to fragmentation and further disunity
in the party.”
Sadiq Baksh attempted to deliver a body blow to Maharaj by disclosing
how the former AG had brought to him a letter to the President to
make Patrick Manning Prime Minister back in 2001.
Baksh opined that Maharaj had cut a deal with Manning.
The deal was that he would be made Special Prosecutor to hound down
the UNC even though no such position existed in law.
Baksh was adamant that he wanted nothing to do with Ramesh.
Councillor Sahadeo Boondoo said that the grassroots cannot be ignored
and process must be followed, whereby Maharaj must reapply for membership,
pay his application fee and be screened.
Dookeran gave everyone a chance to express their views. He stated
that there must be continued debate on the issue, which should engage
all the institutions of the party. He insisted that, “unity
must be principled, programmed, sustainable and credible.”
Meanwhile, Maharaj, who was out of the country on business in Grenada
and Antigua, could not be reached for comment.
However, a source close to the former AG described Baksh’s
allegations that Maharaj had signed a letter that called on President
Robinson to appoint Manning as Prime Minister as “pure propaganda
with no merit whatsoever.
“No one can produce any letter signed by Maharaj to make Manning
Prime Minister There was simply no such document and no one can
produce any such document.”
TnT Mirror was told that the majority of UNC supporters does not
want Maharaj to deal with all those propaganda and would like, instead,
for him to deal with the future and to assist in uniting the party
and country.
Panday, on the other hand, said he was “committed to unity”
and he believed that “the majority of party members wanted
unity”.
He told Mirror: “Some people don’t want unity for personal
reasons and others for all sorts of reasons that just don’t
make sense.
“The PNM doesn’t want us to unite and will use their
people in our party to try to prevent this. But the majority of
our members and supporters know very well that unity is necessary
to defeat the PNM.”
Panday added: “In order to unite, you have to forgive, you
may not necessarily forget, but I believe I am the most forgiving
person.
“I forgave Robinson for kicking us out of the government and
I later made him President.
“I forgave Dookeran for supporting Robinson in kicking us
out and I later made him Central Bank Governor.
“I forgave Kelvin Ramnath for supporting Hulsie Bhaggan in
trying to mash up the party and I forgave him and brought him back
into the fold.
“And I am saying I forgive Ramesh and Trevor for whatever
fallout we have had.
“It is important for the party and the country that we forgive,
get back together and commence working together to remove the PNM
and return the UNC to power.” |
