Big task ahead for new Chaguanas mayor

Chaguanas makes history Thursday when Natasha Navas takes the oath of office as mayor of the borough, succeeding Dr Surujrattan Rambachan who held the post for six years.

The young marketing officer at First Citizens Bank is the first woman to head the borough, becoming only the second woman to hold such a position in Trinidad and Tobago.

At age 30 she is also the youngest person to head the council.

It is a mammoth undertaking for the political rookie who is taking on this responsibility at a time when there are high stakes at play.

Rambachan was pushed out of office in what he has called a coup.

For supporters of Rambachan and opposition leader Basdeo Panday it was more than that. It was a betrayal by Jack Warner, a deputy leader of the United National Congress (UNC) and the MP for Chaguanas West.

Warner had been at loggerheads with Rambachan for quite some time and he helped engineer the mayor's fall from office with the help of the People's National Movement (PNM). He said Rambachan had it coming because of his attitude and his arrogance.

That has widened the rift between Panday and Warner, which began when Warner and his colleague Ramesh L. Maharaj started demanding change within the UNC to make it battle-ready to face the PNM in an election.

The change they have been demanding includes a shakeup of the leadership. When it started Warner had made it clear on several occasions that his fight was not with Panday and that he would be happy to serve under Panday if the membership re-elected him leader.

What he wanted most was internal elections to get the leadership issue settled so the party could move forward. But Warner has now changed his approach and is openly calling for Panday to go.

The Chaguanas MP found himself in a bit of political quicksand when he voted with the PNM on two separate occassions to pass bills when the UNC abstained on both occasions. That and the Rambachan incident have led the UNC to accuse him of working with the PNM against the UNC.

Warner has denied the charge but the perception among some UNC supporters - particularly those loyal to Panday - is that Warner is switching his loyalty from the UNC to the PNM.

And in denouncing the ouster of Rambachan, Panday said now that the deed is done the new mayor has no choice but to work with the PNM.

That is something Navas has promised to do - to work with everyone to do what's best for Chaguanas. And she has pledged to kick things off Thursday with a walkabout in the market to meet vendors and hear their concerns.

That could be her first headache since it might provide the ideal environment for a confrontation between rival sides of the UNC.

For the young banker who is embarking on her new career in the midst of a major political squabble this is, to say the least, a baptism of fire. She may very well become a pawn in this volatile political game.

She would have to rely on her personal skills and the support and guidance of those like Warner who help catapult her into this. And she would have to rely on the PNM for her survival. Without such support she could lose the majority that toppled her predecessor and created the opportunity for her to become mayor.

Jai Parasram | Toronto, July 23, 2009