Ryan finds timing of Panday-Manning meeting "curious"

Respected political scientist and newspaper columnist Prof. Selwyn Ryan finds it "curious" that Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday are meeting at this time to discuss constitutional issues.

Read the story: Manning, Panday to meet on constitution

He told the Trinidad Express there might be some truth in suggestions by Congress of the People (COP) leader Winston Dookeran that some kind of deal is in the works.

Dookeran has said he expects that Manning and Panday would reach a deal regarding the failed Hindu Credit Union (HCU).

Last week the COP leader told a political meeting Manning was sending coded messages of support to Panday in Parliament while attacking his own MP, Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley.

"I just wonder whether Dookeran...does not in fact have a point. It seems more than coincidental that at this particular point in time, that he (Manning) would want to have a consultation with Mr Panday," Ryan said.

"It may be he (Manning) feels that, given all that is happening, he may want to reach some kind of accommodation with Mr Panday. My hypothesis is that they both need each other and they are trying to come to some pas de deux, a set of choreographed steps; to an understanding or accommodation if that is possible," Ryan said.

Dookeran told reporters Sunday the meeting on Tuesday should be an open one.
"Meetings of a constitutional nature must be used for the people's interest not to promote any kind of deals of a political nature," Dookeran said.

He added that COP believes that there should not be any kind of political deal with regard to the HCU.

Both Manning and Panday have been talking about constitutional reform at political meetings and both of them have supported the idea of an elected executive president. But they disagree on the manner in which the election is to take place.

Panday prefers an election by one-person-one vote; Manning is supporting a more selective system by an electoral college similar to the system in the United States. Panday also wants an expanded legislature and the abolition of the elected Senate.

The point of significant departure between the two is Panday's call for proportional representation which Manning has rejected outright as a formula for creating voting blocs along race and religious lines.

Reliable sources have told JYOTI that Manning is under intense pressure within his own party over some provisions of the draft constitution and that's why he has embarked on his meet the people tour to gauge PNM grassroots support.

They say Panday and Manning have much to gain from an deal over the constitution but the problem that they face is the requirement of a three quarters majority in the House of Representatives.

The sources say Manning is not sure he can get the support of all of his MPs for the draft that he is pushing but assuming he gets 25 - which leaves out Rowley - he would still be short of seven to make up the required 32.

On the opposition side, Panday's MPs are totally opposed to the Manning draft, especially people like deputy leader Kamla Persad Bissessar, Tim Gopeesingh and Roodal Moonilal who are all on record as calling the draft a formula for a presidential dictatorship.

The sources say Panday can only count on the votes of his daughter and brother on this issue.

They say this is why the meeting with Manning is so critical because the deal would be to make compromises that Panday can sell to his reluctant MPs if Manning can make some critical changes on the constitutional draft and at the same time give Panday something that he could sell as a victory.

The sources say that would be the HCU deal, since the majority of people who have lost millions in the HCU are heartland supporters of the UNC.