Panday fires Carson Charles from Senate, appoints former COP deputy leader

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday confirmed on Friday that he has fired United National Congress Alliance (UNC-A) Senator Dr. Carson Charles and replaced him with Dr. Sharon-Ann Gopaul-McNicol, the former deputy political leader of the Congress of the People (COP). Panday told reporters in Port of Spain the change is with immediate effect.

Dr. Charles first entered Parliament in 1987 as the Member of Parliament for St. Joseph and Minister in the Ministry of Works, Infrastructure and Decentralization in the NAR government under prime minister Arthur N.R. Robinson. He became political leader of NAR in October 2005, replacing Lennox Sankersingh and was appointed as an opposition senator in 2007 following the 2007 general election.

Charles holds a B.Sc in Civil Engineering and a Ph.D in Engineering with a focus on Transportation Planning.

His successor is a Psychologist and Director of the Spanish Secretariat.

In announcing the change and presenting the new senator to the media, Panday said Charles knew that there would be a rotation of senators and that Charles accepted the decision.

He said Dr Gopaul-McNicol adds her "intelligence" to the opposition Senate line-up. "She is a well known social worker and a people's person," he said. The former prime minister said the appointment is "one more act in my struggle to unite the nation. The objective is to bring the opposition parties together."

McNicol, who held the post of deputy political leader of COP up to a few days ago, said she accepted her party's decision to fire her from her leadership role but insisted that she remains a member of COP. She will sit in the Senate as an "opposition senator" not a member of the United National Congress (UNC).

She said the UNC approached her in February to join the opposition team in the Senate and agreed because she believes that it is important for the opposition to have "a wider voice than just those who voted for the UNC or the COP".

McNicol said she accepted the appointment based on 70 per cent popular support from a survey she conducted among the COP constituency. She hopes the appointment will lead to further discussions among the opposition parties towards unity.

She described her move as an example of "bi-partisan opposition" similar to the "change" that has taken place in the U.S. where President Obama appointed two Republicans to his Cabinet.

She said while the COP leadership is not involved in her current activities, changes take time to build support and she hopes that with time the position of the sceptics will soften.

COP fired McNicol after learning that she had accepted Panday's invitation to become an opposition senator. Political leader Winston Dookeran stated sent her a letter advising her of the party's decision and wishing her well in her position. Dookeran appointed economist Robert Mayers to replace her as one of the party's deputy political leaders.

Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner spoke publicly of McNicol's senatorship at a recent meeting in St Helena. "I want to publicly tell Sharon if she take that (senatorship) she would have failed this country because Sharon McNicol had been one of those persons who have been advocating change. I don't think Dr Gopaul-McNicol would be so foolish so as to accept that," Warner said.

Panday has invited McNicol to attend UNC Parliamentary Caucus and he said she is glad to attend so that there can be an exchange of views to build consensus in the fight against the governing PNM.

Panday said it is not unusual to appoint a member of another party to the Senate. He noted that in an earlier term as opposition leader he had appointed Karl Hudson Phillips to the Senate while Hudson Phillips was not a member of his party. He explained that it was an opportunity to get Hudson Phillips to participate in debate on a Land Tenure Bill.

Panday also commented on a statement made on Thursday by the governor of the Central Bamk Governor's statement about 0-1 per cent growth and growing unemployment.

Panday said he is not surprised because the UNC had predicted that this was the path the PNM was taking the country on with its "squandermania, maladministration". He said the PNM should have been preparing in the times of plenty for rainy days, adding that "the rains have come and we will be inundated with a flood".

He noted that what was predicted was a period of "stag-flation" - stagnation with inflation, the consequence of which is more job losses, more crime and further disenchantment with the government.

Asked what was the answer, he said, "Removal of the PNM! I am very serious. If everyone has been telling the PNM what they should not be doing and that what they are doing would create problems for the country, then what other solution can there be if the PNM refuses to listen?

"The problems of the people are crime, no beds in the hospitals, no water and so on, and instead of fixing those things the government spends over one billion dollars to host a summit, what else can anyone do?

"The problem is the PNM and solution is that the people have to get rid of this government."

Panday said he is not opposed to holding summit conferences. He believes world leaders need to meet and discuss issues. However, he noted that two years ago when PM Manning committed the country to hosting the Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference, it was clear that "we could not afford to hold those event...We could not afford it then and we are in a worse position today".

He said the government has its priorities wrong.