Panday won't do deal with Manning and PNM

The caucus of the United National Congress Alliance (UNC-A) meets Wednesday to discuss proposals made in discussions between Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Prime Minister Patrick Manning for the possible reinstatement of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday to Parliament.

But Panday isn't interested in any deal with the Manning and the PNM.

Panday has been suspended for the rest of the current session for using his laptop computer in the House of Representatives without the permission of the Speaker.

Maharaj and Manning spoke about the matter last week behind the Speaker’s chair. Sources say Manning might be willing to support a motion to have Panday reinstated if the opposition votes in favour of certain pieces of government legislation that require a special majority.

One of the bills for which the PNM is seeking support will exempt state board chairmen from making declarations under integrity legislation. The Government indicated that the legislation might be tabled as early as next week.

The Manning administration has repeatedly said people are unwilling to serve on state boards because of the need for filing personal declarations of assets to the integrity commission.

But that is one matter that Panday personally opposes. And the UNC has repeatedly taken issue with accountability concerning state board chairmen. Panday said allowing them to be exempted from filing declarations is not an acceptable option.

He is concerned that people like Andre Monteil, Prof. Ken Julien and Calder Hart, the executive chairman of UDeCOTT – the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago would escape scrutiny.

Monteil was engaged in some questionable business dealings and was censured by Manning himself. Julien, who is president of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), has been accused of “reckless” spending at the UTT without proper accountability.

And Hart is under attack for controlling billions of dollars of state funds. He became an object of national attention after Manning fired Dr Keith Rowley from cabinet for questioning UDeCOTT’s plans to build a hotel in Port of Spain without prior cabinet approval.

Panday’s suspension could only be lifted if the House approves with a simple majority. That means the governing party must support the motion or abstain from voting on it.

But Panday isn’t interested. “No way; no how; not at all,” Panday told the media. He said the UNC-A MPs and Maharaj would decide the issue.

However he stressed that he is against both the offer for his reinstatement and the proposed legislation.

"This is not democracy. I will not be party to any horse trading or bartering. They seem to want to reduce the parliamentary process to mere bartering," he told the Trinidad Guardian.

Panday said Manning and the PNM don’t want him in Parliament and he refuses to be used as a pawn in their political game.

Related story: Ramesh and Manning talking about bringing back Bas