| THE
tumultuous lifestyle of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday will
hit another high next month with Panday set to enjoy the World Cup
in Germany as a special guest of FIFA Vice-President Austin Jack
Warner.
According to inside sources, Panday will be leaving shortly to meet
with the New York charter of the United National Congress (UNC)
to discuss recent developments within the party and to gauge the
sentiments of UNC New Yorkers.
Panday will be making the trip to New York City with former Attorney
General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Warner, who is also a deputy
political leader of the UNC.
The trio is expected to stay in New York for “a couple of
days”, before heading across the Atlantic Ocean to London,
where Panday and Maharaj are expected to meet with their children.
“Bas taking a little holiday and when he leaves on his New
York trip, you won’t see him for awhile,” the insider
stated.
“He is going to try and enjoy some of the time he has now
and make the best of it.
|
JACK
WARNER ...
first-class
for BAS.
BASDEO
PANDAY ...
going with
RAMESH.
|
“Since he got
out on bail, he has been doing a lot of walking around his neighbourhood
and he looks like his spirits are up again.
“Jack has invited him to be his special guest for the World
Cup, so he can relax and enjoy the matches with the Soca Warriors
in style.
“It’s going to be first class all the way for Bas,
not like those bloodsuckers in the PNM who have to sit in the
back of the Stadiums to watch the matches.
“Imagine if the Prime Minister (Patrick Manning) goes to
the matches in Germany, he will probably have to sit with Panday
in the VIP box.
“I am not sure Manning will be able to take that.”
The 2006 FIFA World Cup trip marks a complete reversal of fortune
for the enigmatic Panday.
Last month, Panday, who led the UNC Government between 1995 and
2001, was at an all-time low of his political career, sentenced
by Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls to two years imprisonment
with hard labour for failing to declare to the Integrity Commission,
a London bank account he held jointly with his wife, Oma.
For five days Panday was kept at the infirmary of the Maximum
Security State Prison in Arouca, until the former trade union
leader was granted bail by Justice Anthony Carmona on medical
grounds.
Following Panday’s custodial sentence, President George
Maxwell Richards declared the position of Opposition Leader vacant
and Panday was replaced in the House of Representatives by Siparia
MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Panday also announced his resignation as UNC chairman three days
after being granted bail.
The executive com-mittee of the UNC is yet to decide on Panday’s
resignation.
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