Poll gives Ramesh top marks, but Kamla has best public image

An opinion poll by the US-based NACTA suggests that former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday is the strongest person to take on the People's National Movement (PNM) on behalf of the opposition.

NACTA says this is in spite of some of Panday's own blunders while he was head of government.

However the poll suggests that Kamla Persad-Bissessar has the best public image among the three candidates campaigning for the post of leader of the United National Congress (UNC) in the party's internal election on January 24, 2010.

It puts the Siparia MP at 49 per cent with Panday next at 23 per cent and the other leadership contender, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, at 21 per cent.

But while the public perception is higest for Persad-Bissessar, NACTA says the poll suggests the reverse when it comes to serving constituents with Maharaj getting 84 per cent, Panday 36 per cent and the former education minister down at the bottom with 22 per cent.

Maharaj also comes out on top as the person who has fought the hardest to reform the UNC.

NACTA said 69 per cent of respondents gave the Tabaquite MP top points on that with Persad-Bissessar at 13 per cent and Panday at 12 per cent.

The survey also puts Maharaj as the number one candidate to fight corruption.

Maharaj broke with Panday over the issue of perceived corruption in the UNC government and Maharaj's belief that Prime Minister Panday was not effectively dealing with it.