Kamla tightens grip on the UNC
Kamla and Panday in happier times
She is the first leader of a major political party in the country’s history and there appears to be a groundswell of support for her throughout the country. Basdeo Panday will now become an ordinary backbencher.
It took four unnecessary weeks to confirm that Basdeo Panday was officially ousted as head honcho in the Opposition United National Congress, inside Parliament and outside it but in the end better judgment prevailed among his former loyalists.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in the process, has strengthened her grip on the party that Panday founded and will this week displace him as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives now that gynaecologist Tim Goopeesingh, the Caroni East MP, has decided after great “soul searching” to, belatedly, support her. With eight of the 15 UNC MPs on her side, President Max Richards, constitutionally, has no other alternative but to appoint her the new Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition.
This should, theoretically, signal the end of Panday’s tumultuous political career which ascended in 1995 when he became the first Indian Prime Minister in the country.
But is it the end for the Silver Fox, an individual who thrives on conflict and loves the big fight? Stranger things have happened in politics and the next few weeks should provide a clue as to Kamla’s future.
The wily Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj who was severely trounced in last month’s internal executive elections has been sniping at her on the sidelines.
He has refused to give her his support in her bid to be Leader of the Opposition in Parliament although there is evidence that his constituents want him to so do and has claimed that there was “thuggery and terrorisim” in his party as he is being forced by some elements in his constituency to sign on.
Ramesh is also claiming that the Opposition in Parliament is “getting weaker and weaker”.
He is, of course, putting his credibility and political future on the line as he tacitly continues to side with Panday and there may be some truth rumours that a new party is in the works.
This party may very well comprise Panday, Ramesh, Mickela and Subash Panday, Kelvin Ramnath and Adesh Nanan an could be spoilers in a Local Government lections which will be contested by the UNC who may decide to have an accommodation with the Congress of the People (COP) to defeat the PNM in the 12 or 14 municipalities up for grabs.
There is a groundswell of support for Kamla but the going will not be easy as the Government tries to influence the electorate and buy votes by State patronage.
She is yet to outline a road map to Whitehall.
First of all, she will have to deal with the question of the Senate which is staffed by Panday loyalists.
Despite the growing disenchantment with the Government, she may very well discover that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done.