THE EDITOR:
I SEE Jack Warner has stepped up his attack on the duly elected Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC), Winston Dookeran.

Maybe as the new owner of the UNC, Warner would want to explain exactly why he suddenly has a problem with Dookeran.

Before he bumbles and stutters his response in another droning and utterly brainless speech, I would like to remind him of some of his statements.

Is Warner not the one who said to a journalist just a few months ago that: “For the UNC to succeed in government, it cannot be a Bas party anymore.

“It has to be a party that is expanding, unifying, all-embracing. The UNC of today belongs to Trinidad and Tobago.

“It doesn’t belong to Bas anymore.

“I’m quite sure he knows this more than anyone.”

Was Warner not the one who also said in that same interview that: “Dookeran’s appeal is national in scope.

“If you conducted a poll amongst the rank and file, Indo, Afro and the country, you would see that.

“It’s not a small cabal.”

Oh well, I guess that was yesterday and this is today.

So maybe now that Warner has totally surrendered his integrity as a man, a football administrator, a businessperson and a politician, the UNC supporters should ask themselves: “what about tomorrow?”

The UNC is now too laughable for words and Warner, well, he doesn’t deserve to even be “dignified” with criticism.

THE EDITOR:
SOMEONE recently wrote that “the split in the United National Congress (UNC) is due to Panday’s pandering to Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and is the ostensible cause for Yetming’s defection”.

The fact is, Ramesh is an asset to the UNC and there was a split in the party long before Ramesh’s return.

The split came about because five MPs, including Yetming, demanded that Panday ride out in the sunset.

They were backed by financier Jack Warner and a few of the Senators including Robin Montano, Sadiq Baksh and Carolyn Seepersad Bachan.

The record would show that Panday initially agreed to step down from the leadership of the UNC and anoint Winston Dookeran as leader but he said he changed his mind when he found out that Dookeran and a few of the MPs had planned to hand over the party to the parasitic oligarchy that had opposed the UNC using Dookeran as the front man.

That exacerbated the split in the party leading to two distinct slates of candidates contesting control of the party’s executive in internal elections.

One slate was led by Panday and one led by Dookeran whom Panday earlier appointed as leader.

Dookeran’s slate included Yetming, Jack and a sleuth of powerful personalities.

Panday sent for Ramesh during the campaign in the elections for executive posts in September because Dookeran’s slate was going to win control of the party.

Ramesh endorsed Panday’s slate which came from behind and won the elections.

Was Ramesh an asset to Panday? Let the readers decide.

The rift in the UNC widened with Jack, Yetming, Manohar and Baksh attacking Panday and calling on him to leave.

Panday relented and Ramesh issued threats against the attackers for hounding Panday out of the party and giving up the Opposition Leadership title.

Dookeran’s faction backed down against the Panday-Ramesh alliance.

Does this show Ramesh is an asset to Panday?

Let the readers decide.

After Dookeran failed to have on impact on popular support in the UNC base.

Jack switched side returning to Panday who by this time had gotten a commitment from Ramesh to return to help rebuild the party.

It was Jack who had called for Ramesh’s return since May of 2005 and Panday accepted Jack’s advice.

The overwhelming majority of the UNC executive and the party’s MPs voted in favour of an affiliation with Ramesh, leading to the February 19 rally.

Dookeran and his faction of the UNC called for a boycott of the meeting to protest Ramesh’s impending return.

Yet the party pulled its largest rally since 2002.

Is that a coincidence?

I think not.

Did it show Ramesh is an asset? Let the reader decide.

The record would show that Dookeran has held many meetings since he became leader in September.

He is yet to muster a crowd of 500 even with Panday at his side.

What does that say about Dookeran’s support?.

In sum, Ramesh cannot be blamed for the current split in the UNC.

This came about because of the position adopted by Yetming and others who are affiliated with the Dookeran faction.

Unless they reverse course, they are bound to fail.

Panday is on the right track in seeking to build unity with Ramesh and Jack while Dookeran and Yetming are disuniting the party.

THE EDITOR:
RESULT of government’s management skills:

FREE SCHOOLING.
*Problem: Not enough school places.

Government’s solution: Shift system.

Forty years have passed and also endless money has passed through this country.

Result: Shift system and shortage of school places remain.

*Problem: Shortage of trained teachers.

Government’s solution: Untrained teachers placed in primary schools.

This is where the education base is supposed to be laid.

*Problem: Slow movement through already overcrowded schools.

Government’s solution: Move children from class to class without having to pass exams.

Results: Fifty per cent of children leaving government’s schools unable to read, write or do simple maths.

UNEMPLOYMENT.
Government’s solution: DEWD.

Problem: No plan of what they want to achieve, other than votes.

Result: People paid $75 per day to talk and lime from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The start of the dependency syndrome: Ten-days.

The closure of all estates that could not pay this wage.

POLICE SERVICE.

Problem: Poor management.

Not enough foot soldiers.

Government’s solution: Eye In The Sky, Blimps, Helicopters.

COURT SYSTEM.

*Problems: Shortage of magistrates and staff.

Deplorable condition of courts.

Outdated work systems.

Government’s solution: None.

Results: Cases being constantly postponed.

Criminals allowed to be on bail for indefinite periods, during which they continue to commit crime.

Government’s solution: None.

When you add these four things together, the result is the horrible crime situation we are now experiencing.

Government’s response: Put Mr. Martin Joseph in charge of crime.

Result: Chaos!

THE EDITOR:
THE newly-appointed Leader of the Opposition is one of the major sources of problems in the United National Congress (UNC).

Immediately after being sworn in, she begins to do what seems to be a vacuous mantra by some in the UNC, which is the usual talk about unity.

She tells the nation that she would seek a meeting with Winston Dookeran to iron out certain problems.

The next thing you know she goes on a platform in Debe and continues to lambaste the Political Leader.

Here she is again talking about meeting with Winston Dookeran etc.

Kamla is proving herself to be just like her forerunner, lots of big talk and secret deceit.

I hope she understands that her post is no different than a CEPEP or URP worker.

It is a temporary 10-day job.

THE EDITOR:
RECENTLY the Guaracara Party Group of the United National Congress (UNC) issued a statement calling on Dr. Adesh Nanan to start consulting the people before supporting the cabal in the national executive.

This was a true sign of leadership by the executive of this party group and I lend my voice in support of their call.

It is about time that people begin speaking up on what is taking place in the UNC.

Why doesn’t this renegade “executive” send “jumping jack” before a diciplinary committee?