THE EDITOR:
UNITED National Congress (UNC) MPs Winston Dookeran, Ganga Singh, Manohar Ramsaran and Gerald Yetming oppose the return of Ramesh Maharaj to the UNC.

They claim that Ramesh will destabilise the UNC, undermine Dookeran’s leadership and drive supporters away.

Let us look at some facts on which is a better combination -- Panday-Ramesh vs Panday-Dookeran -- for the UNC.

Dookeran was with Panday during the ULF days but broke with Panday during the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) Government to further his personal ambition to be deputy prime minister at the expense of Panday and his supporters.

When Robinson fired Panday in 1988, Dookeran agreed to back Panday but relented when he was offered the acting prime minister’s position. Panday, Ramnath, Sudama and others were left on their own and traditional supporters were neglected including in Dookeran’s then constituency of Chaguanas.

Traditional UNC supporters never forgave Dookeran for betraying Panday and the base and he was referred to as the “maha nimakharam”.

I remember people appealing to Dookeran to break with Robinson and come to the UNC but he told them he wanted to be a minister not an Opposition MP When Dookeran sought re-election, he was soundly defeated by a relatively unknown Hulsie Bhaggan in December 1991.

The NAR with Dookeran as deputy leader went from 33 seats to 2 seats; the party was wiped out from Trinidad.

By this time, Panday had turned to Ramesh who used his great organisation skills to build the base of the party.

With Ramesh as de facto deputy, the UNC grew from six seats to 13 seats and won another seat in a by-election.

And in 1995, Panday and Ramesh transformed the UNC from Opposition to government.

The party expanded its base with Ramesh and won re-election in December 2001.

Then in October 2002, for whatever reasons, just or unjust, Ramesh was dismissed.

Panday called a snap election, the party lost 20,000 votes, one seat and office.

Enter Dookeran at Panday’s side to rescue the UNC.

Instead of picking up seats, the UNC lost two seats and an additional 20,000 votes.

In the local government elections the following year, the UNC suffered the worst humiliation losing a dozen seats.

So instead of helping the UNC, Dookeran’s presence hurt the party.

How then can Dookeran and his supporters claim Ramesh will hurt the party?

Since Dookeran became leader, the UNC has not made any gains.

The party has been in internal squabbles and receiving bad Press.

In short, the UNC has been falling apart.

Dookeran has not done one thing to strengthen the party and has not shown he can unite the forces. I can’t point to one person of prominence that Dookeran has brought to the party.

I have walked around San Juan/Barataria, Tunapuna, and Caroni East and people support the return of Ramesh to save the party.

I have talked to former UNC activists everywhere and they said they will not return unless Ramesh return to rebuild the party. There are only a handful of people who oppose Ramesh’s return to the fold and they are encouraged by Dookeran’s people.

Ramesh remains the only person who can rescue the UNC.

He is the party’s only hope.

If Dookeran is smart, he would stop listening to the losers ill-advising him and welcome Ramesh to transform the UNC.

THE EDITOR:
THE internal rifts within the United National Congress (UNC) over the past four years have been the direct result of individuals acting outside the parameters laid down by the party’s constitution, thus maintaining a veiled dictatorship that is no longer acceptable to the wider membership of the party.

The UNC’s problems of disunity and in-fighting will continue with the eventual disintegration of the party if Panday continues to act ultra vires, which is Latin for beyond his powers as Chairman of the party.

The return of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj to the UNC is not the core issue at hand in this dilemma. It is the method by which he is being brought back into the party’s fold.

Instead, Panday has determined, with consultation with the various organs of the party to bring back members expelled as recently as 2001.

The party, as constructed, contains several organs that should first be consulted if fundamental changes are to be made to policy.

That, at least was the case when the expulsions took place four years ago.

Therefore, it must be agreed that a similar process must be undertaken if vindication is to be achieved.

The objective must be explained to the members, and a vote taken as to the result.

Panday, on the other hand, has continued as if he alone, not even the Political Leader has “custodial” rights over the party.

Panday must therefore be reminded that the party does not belong to him; it belongs to all of us who have committed ourselves to achieving the objectives as outlined in the party’s Constitution.

By his actions, Panday through confrontation and aggression has been responsible for all major splits within the party during the past four years.

His stubborn adherence to “politics having a morality of its own”, is symptomatic of his ability to not let go of the past and resist the urge to behave Machiavellian in style.

The recent dismissal of Robin Montano as a Senator is just another demonstration of Panday’s attitude towards governance, a dictatorial manner which has no place in the psyche of our party’s development.

If Panday, as Opposition Leader is acting on the instructions of the National Executive, the governing body of the party, then he should have gotten the consent first from said executive to have a senatorial appointment changed.

Panday must be reminded that the Office of the Leader of the Opposition is not his personal fiefdom.

It represents the collective aspiration of those who are not in government.

Panday is further exacerbating the crisis within the party by alienating the Political Leader, marginalising his position at every turn and commandeering the Executive for his personal gain.

A truly democratic party will not tolerate this type of behaviour for long.

Instead of continuing his aggressive approach, Panday can contain the UNC’s problems if a level of alternative dispute resolution is adopted in order to mediate upon the differences that exist.

Failure to adopt a more cautious, tactful approach will lead the party to losing the next general election at the expense of egos that could not have been controlled.

If the people mean anything to the leadership of the party, all members must agree to resolve this conflict in a peaceful, mutually productive manner.

Failure to do so would lead any of the leader who assumes ultimate leadership to be consigned to the post of Leader of the Opposition.

I certainly do not believe that this is what our membership wants.

THE EDITOR:
ATO BOLDON must be congratulated for his bold and literal sacrifice by entering the politics via his appointment to the senate by the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

This comes at a time when the country and the politics are witnessing fundamental institutional “structural adjustment”.

The Trinbago seems to be heading inexorably for a precipice, inspite of huge investment inflows and access to money.

Politics is at an all time low for both the ruling party and Opposition.

The entry of Ato Boldon is not totally surprising since he seems to be an individual who relishes a serious challenge.

I will like to however, let him know that for this decision alone, he would have acquired enemies in high places.

The politicians of this country are so petty, that they see things in “if you are not for me, you are against me”.

It has nothing to do with patriotism and love for country.

It is about power acquistion and the sustenance thereof.

It is as if the quest or acquisition of power and influence excites and drunken to such a degree that formally rational men become irrational.

One sees this play out daily with the spate of political prosecutions, to and fro corruption allegations and project/programmes/policies based on expediency rather than sound planning and implementation.

Double talk, innuendo and blatant lies are the order of the day.

Why, you may ask Boldon?

It’s simply to acquire or stay in power.

In such a rich, Small Island Developing State, wishing to become developed by 2020, there are too many small-minded politicians.

There is too much promotion and tolerance of mediocrity.

Too much poverty, youth disillusionment, nepotism and cronyism.

A party card or being recognised as a party member can mean getting undeserving rewards at the expense of more competent and deserving individuals and groups in the society.

It is about controlling the purse strings of the country and arbitrarily (or spitefully) determining who can or must not eat.

Boldon your challenge is to introduce the paradigm shift that will eradicate these debilitating menaces.

The future of the youths depends on it.

Irrespective of the party elected to govern the country, there must be a system of fairness, equity and moral principles which dictates what is right, wrong and just.

We are too small, too blessed and too intellectually endowed to be reeling from incompetence and parasitic malaise as seen in the approach to crime, poverty and social intervention regimes.

The ball, or should I say the “baton” is now in your hands to make the difference.

Congratulations!

THE EDITOR:
MY car was recently stolen and I would like to publicly commend the police officers of the 999 Emergency Response and the St. Joseph Police Station for their response on my report.

Although my vehicle have not yet been recovered.

Also I would like to thank the garbage collectors Rossie Hosein and Lewis Wolfe of Gopaul Ltd.

These gentlemen found my documents in the garbage while doing their duties and personally delivered them to my work establishment.

Thank you very much guys, words cannot express the gratitude that I have for you.

Just want the whole nation to know that amidst the stressors who deliberately set to stress you out without a doubt.

There are good, kind and honest people out there.

Thank you again guys, keep up the good work.

God bless you all.