MPs, Senators rally behind Panday for UNC leader

Ten Members of Parliament and five opposition senators have endorsed Basdeo Panday for leader of the United National Congress (UNC).

The 15 legislators have always remained loyal to Panday. The four MPs who are not supporting Panday are Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Ramesh L. Maharaj, Winston "Gypsy" Peters and Jack Warner.

Persad-Bissessar and Maharaj are challenging Panday for the leadership. Peters had always said he won't support Panday for leader and even threatened to leave the party if Panday is re-elected. Warner led the so-called Ramjack movement against Panday and never had any plans for supporting the leader.

Warner, Maharaj and Peters were members of the Movement for Change that was formed to demand the internal election be held.

Warner disbanded the movement after the party announced the internal election for January 24, 2010 saying it had served its purpose of forcing the election. However he also said that he reserves the right to restart it if necessary.

The endorsement is contained in a one-page document. The only senator who did not sign is Sharon Gopaul-McNicholls, who is a member of the Congress of the People (COP).

Panday said he appointed her to help build unity among the opposition groups, but she has become a pariah in her own party and was fired from her post of deputy leader after she accepted the senate appointment.

The statement affirmed confidence in Panday's leadership and predicted that he “will continue to lead us into the future.”

The legislators cited Panday's years of "struggle for equality and justice” and his outstanding performance as head of a UNC government from 1995 to 2001, calling him the "Best Prime Minister ever.”

The statement praised Panday's “love for people regardless of race and creed” and urged UNC members and supporters to rally around Panday and his team to ensure that they win the election.

Panday is on holiday in England and is expected to launch his campaign for the election on his return early in January. So far he has not named his "slate' for the election but there is speculation that he will choose from among the loyalists who have now publicly endorsed him.

Maharaj, who is also abroad, has focused his campaign so far on attacking Perssad-Bissessar, saying that she doesn't have the credentials for defeating him or Panday.