Dear Editor,
I am in Trinidad to conduct tracking polls relating to the country’s November 5 general elections. Political commentators were pronouncing on Panday’s political death following rallies held by the ruling PNM and the newly formed Congress of People on Saturday. However, after Panday’s party, UNC, held its election rally on Sunday, virtually all the commentators are now saying Panday is very much alive and kicking and could win the elections. They are now saying COP’s political chances are severely diminished.
Opponents of Panday and political experts are in shock and unable to explain how Panday was able to attract such a huge crowd that was double the size of the PNM and five times the size of the COP. I had never seen such a large gathering of people at a political rally anywhere in the world except in India. Panday was vilified by the media and his opponents. He is before the courts on a number of charges. He was convicted and had his conviction overturned. And yet he is still the largest crowd puller.
People of different ethnic background and of varied ages were present at the rally that observers say was around 40,000. Reports say both the PNM and COP are now re-strategizing on their campaign. Experts had felt that the election would be a battle between the PNM and COP although I had repeatedly maintained that NACTA’s poll findings showed the race was between the PNM and UNC. Polls conducted by the Bajan-based CADRES institute and the Ansa McAl institute funded by the Guardian newspaper showed the COP beating the PNM and UNC with insignificant support. The NACTA poll showed the PNM beating the UNC with COP playing a spoiler role hurting the UNC’s chances of defeating the PNM.
Some commentators believe Panday has regained strength because of the return of his former deputy Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj who served as Attorney General under Panday and was the man responsible for going after the corrupt UNC Ministers. Indians had called him a neemakharam for investigating corrupt Indians while Africans praised him for his work. Now Africans are calling on him not to return to the UNC while Indians are beseeching him to join Panday again in political battle.
Panday fired Maharaj as A.G for demanding an investigation into corruption and subsequently expelled Maharaj from the party after Maharaj’s slate won the party’s internal elections among the large membership. Maharaj was in the dog house but Panday had a change of mind when he was challenged by Winston Dookeran for control of the party. He appealed to Maharaj to return to the party’s fold to help him fend off the challenge from Dookeran in the party’s internal elections. Maharaj appealed to the membership of the party to support Panday against Dookeran and Panday’s slate defeated Dookeran’s slate. In February 2006, Maharaj received a thunderous welcome at a rally of 20,000. Maharaj successfully appealed Panday’s conviction (for failure to declare his London bank accounts) last March.
But a coldness developed between the two men with Maharaj saying he will not contest a seat until Prime Minister Manning announced the date of the election on September 28. Panday appealed to Maharaj to join him in battle and the 40,000 in attendance erupted in wild cheers welcoming him on stage. He is no longer a neemakharam and he has restored confidence that the UNC badly needed to a have a chance in the elections.
NACTA’s latest opinion poll shows the leader of the COP, Winston Dookeran will not win his seat in St. Augustine where the university (UWI) is located. He will be humiliated by the political novice Vasant Bharath, a rising star in the party in the UNC. PNM has no chance in St. Augustine, traditionally an Indian seat. So Panday is on his way to political elevation. But PNM is way ahead of the UNC at this time.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram