Letter: Kamla leads in random sidewalk poll

It was very interesting to read that the majority of UNC MPs and Senators have thrown their support behind Basdeo Panday for the internal leadership race due on January 24th 2010.

MPs after all are supposed to represent the concerns, views and wishes of their constituents and opposition MPs consistently cry foul when the government introduces policies that seem contrary to the views and wishes of the people.

So when MPs and Senators throw their support behind Basdeo Panday I assume they have some authority derived from the express wishes of the people to do so.

Today, in a very spur of the moment exercise, I stood for just over an hour on the sidewalk just outside Pancho's on Queen Street in Port of Spain and together with a colleague carried out a sidewalk poll.

We interviewed 70 people from all walks of life. Indo, Afro, Chinese, white, half white, young, old, professional, civil servant, labourer, living in North, South, East, West and Central.

We asked the 70 people who they would support for the leadership of the UNC if they could vote, Basdeo Panday or Kamla Persad Bissessar. Of the 70 persons interviewed 66 people enthusiastically preferred Kamla Persad Bissessar and 4 people said Basdeo Panday.

Of the 4, two clearly wanted Basdeo Panday because they thought he was best for the PNM.

To be fair, 2 people favoured Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj even though he was not part of the poll.

Whilst this may not be the most scientific poll ever taken, it was a candid shot into the hearts and minds of the average person on the streets of the capital city and is certainly a reflection of what I have heard in other quarters.

So before the UNC MPs throw their support behind anyone, they may wish to find out from their constituents what those very constituents want before they do exactly what they accuse the government of doing - ignoring the wishes of the people.

Garvin Nicholas