What war? UNC jefes shake hands, hug at fete

Opposition supporters saw a picture of camaraderie and unity among their leaders over the weeked as Basdeo Panday, Jack Warner and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj held hands, hugged and smiled for cameras at the annual $1 Fete and Ole Mas competition at the UNC’s Couva South constituency office.

Warner told reporters the picture meant that “a higher level of dialogue has been reached with Panday.” However he noted that it doesn't mean the problems are over, only that it's the start of a process of healing within the UNC. Panday did not make any comment but has always insisted that party affairs must be discussed internally.

Relations have been strained among Maharaj, Warner and Panday for a while over the way the party has been doing things. Both Warner and Maharaj have called for change and asked the party to reconsider its decision to postpone internal elections for a new executive and leadership. The executive has put off that vote until after the Local Government elections expected later this year.

The problem was aggravated when Panday slammed his MPs for absenteeism in Parliament, a direct swipe at Warner, who missed 18 sittings in the last session, and Maharaj who was absent for 10. Then, when the UNC launched its 2009 series of Monday Night Forum (MNF) in Maharaj's constituency, the MP was not on the list of speakers.

Maharaj and Warner held their own meeting in the same location at which Maharaj said no one would chase him out of the UNC and insisted that the party belonged to no one and to no family, an obvious reference to Panday. There are three Pandays in Parliament, each elected by the people in general elections.

On Saturday Maharaj insisted, “There is no war between Mr Panday and myself, or anybody and Mr Panday. We have always been friends.” He explained that each person has different views on how to take the party forward. He stressed that the party must remain united, but there was need for changes in “attitude, strategy and marketing of the party.”

Maharaj said he is committed to the UNC, no matter what his role in Parliament. "I am a UNC, I am committed to the UNC and I will die with my boots on as a UNC," Maharaj told reporters. "I do not think there were any walls or icy feeling, I have maintained that what we are doing is legitimate...There is no problem. Differences of opinion is healthy for any democratic political party."

Maharaj said the reunion between himself Panday and Warner is "a great demonstration of love from us to the people and from the people to us".

Warner was happy to have spoken to Panday, but he added that his concerns still exist. "Mr Panday and I have demonstrated respect for each other's differences of opinion. A window is now open for dialogue. There were about 15,000 people at that fete from all walks of life and they want us to talk and move forward," Warner told the Trinidad Express.

"Our rule is to respond to the wishes of the people, but the issues have not been blown away, they're still there."

Warner and Maharaj leave Monday for Washington D.C. to attend Tuesday's historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States.