Bas is back, ready to do battle with the PNM

Basdeo Panday returned home from England Thursday with a message for his supporters and the nation: The time is right to mobilise and to rise up against the PNM Government.

"That’s my mission over the next few months," the former prime minister told reporters on his arrival at Piarco International Airport.

He accompanied his wife, Oma, who had been in London for open heart surgery. Well wishers and friends presented Mrs Panday with flowers as she emerged from the arrival area on a wheelchair.

Top UNC-A MPs were there to greet the couple including their daughter Mickela, Tim Gopeesingh, Vasant Bharath, Chandresh Sharma, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Wade Mark.

Mrs Panday is still recuperating and will continue treatment at home.

Panday had kept in touch with political developments while he was away. He won't be able to participate in Friday's debate on the Joint Select Committee to probe UDeCOTT because of his suspension.

But the man in the eye of the storm, Dr Keith Rowley, will be present and would most likely have an interesting contribution to make. Rowley opened the national debate on the role of UDeCOTT when he challenged the organization for carrying out projects without proper Cabinet oversight.

His boss, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, responded by firing Rowley, ostensibly for misbehaving. But political observers say it had nothing to do with Rowley's manner and everything to do with kicking out Rowley and protecting UDeCOTT and its executive chairman, Canadian-born Calder Hart.

Rowley has demanded a full independent public enquiry into the operations of UDeCOTT, a call also made by independent organizations in the private sector, trade unions, individuals and the official opposition.

Manning rejected that outright and has decided on an investigation by a parliamentary committee chaired by a member of the PNM. The UNC-A has stated that it would not take part in the political charade.

Commenting on the JSC Panday said, "Prime Minister Manning knows very well that this JSC is a sham and an obvious red herring...It is no substitute for a commission of enquiry that has the power to do a forensic audit, for instance."

Panday added, "This Government will press on with all kinds of stupid things unless the people rise up against them...And that’s what I’m going to do for the next few months in Trinidad and Tobago—invite people to rise up against the Government."

The opposition leader said he is confident that people would respond because the nation is now united in a common cause.

"I think people are so fed up they are reaching a point where they are prepared to do something about it...I believe people have come to the conclusion they can’t take any more...So the time is right to mobilize people to do something about the Government,” he said.
"They cannot deal with things, we must find a formula to bring Trinidad and Tobago back to peace, sanity and prosperity," Panday said.

Panday told reporters that is the real issue facing Trinidad and Tobago today. He said he had a lot of time to think about this while he was in London and he has a strategy for dealing with the issues.

Panday political baptismal was in 1975 when he led a popular, peaceful uprising against the government culminating in the infamous "Bloody Tuesday" march in February 1976 when he was brutally beaten by police and jailed along with other top trade unionists.

He went on to become the official leader of the opposition that same year and continued his people struggle from the opposition benches until he became prime minister following the 1995 general election.

Political analysts say Panday's greatest strength is his ability to mobilize people. They say for the first time in decades the nation is united in a common cause that is not linked to ethnicity and political affiliation.