There was a political love-in Saturday evening in San Fernando as former foes stood together at a meeting of the Congress of the People (COP).Kamla Persad-Bissessar, one of three deputy leaders of the United National Congress (UNC), was a special guest and she received a standing ovation for his speech imploring the two parties to put aside differences and unite for the sake of the nation.
She thanked COP for the invitation to address the COP congress and added that the UNC "would be happy to invite and welcome your leader and you to ours."
But the COP membership made it clear that while she was welcome, they want nothing to do with her leader. "No Panday, no Panday", they chanted. The messages were in conflict as Persad-Bissessar sought to put past mistakes behind and work toward a united COP-UNC coalition.
Persad-Bissessar has been mandated by her party to meet with political leaders to try to forge a unity accord. And her presence at a COP meeting was part of her efforts to unite the opposition.
She said she envisages that Saturday's event "will be but the first of other conversations we would have as we attempt to forge common bonds on common grounds for the common good of our nation."
She described herself as "an emissary of reconciliation, peace, solidarity and unity for the promotion of the well being of our National family," noting that she was not there to deal with yesterday’s problems "but to seek through unity the opportunities for tomorrow."
She told COP members, "I stand here before you today knowing that you embrace our concern for Trinidad and Tobago’s welfare, and our goal to rescue our beloved country from the path of destruction of the Manning machine."
The Siparia MP said she believes that the UNC is sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working to find honest solutions.
"We understand that we need a Government that places a priority on fairness, openness, humility, concern for all our citizens, courage and faith...now is the time to find a common path."
She acknowledged that the inability of the COP and the UNC to unite helped hand victory to the People's National Movement (PNM) in 2007.
"Only our division has allowed them to destroy our country," she said.
She said what she was doing at the COP meeting has inspired people everywhere in the country although she admitted that it is only a "baby step, towards unity of the Opposition forces." But she warned, "We cannot fail the people; and that is why I am standing here today, with my UNC team."
Persad-Bissessar declared that unity is not "about Basdeo Panday, Winston Dookeran or Kamla . It is about the salvation of our nation. It is about freedom and liberty of the people of Trinidad and Tobago from shackles of a dictator."
She said the question now is whether the two former political foes can actually unite after over three years of bitterness and what seems to be ongoing war of the Opposition factions.
"Can we unite? I say the answer is yes. My answer to you is that we have no choice but to unite. Our choice is very clear…A coalition or Patrick Manning? We have to choose: coalition or Patrick Manning? We all have a part to play in liberating our nation together. This is why we pledge our support to build a movement combining all the forces," Persad-Bissessar said.
"Whatever differences exist in ideology or personality among the opposition parties must now be put aside...We must be mature enough to frankly admit to our weaknesses, our failures, and yes, our ambitions. And we must be mature enough and patriotic enough to agree to compromise for the sake of the country."
She said he was standing at the COP congress to commit to a unity process "that reflects the will of the people, and I say my UNC colleagues are of the same mind...My question is to you today, are you willing to unite?"
She urged everyone to unite for the national good because "the stakes have risen too high for all of us to refuse to unite...unity can part the waters and lead us out of this misery into a new and better promised land.
"We owe it to history, we owe it to future generations and we owe it to ourselves. This is the call of conscience, expansion, healing and unity. With courage, resolve and initiative, change will come,” she said.
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