Ramesh, Panday in London conspiracy?

Jack Warner believes United National Congress Leader Basdeo Panday and Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj are hatching a plot to take control of the the party.

Reports say both men are spending Christmas holidays in London and are scheduled to return home early in the new year.

But a confidential source who has been in touch with Maharaj quotes the Tabaquite MP as saying the reports are not true.The source - who asked to remain anonymous - spoke with Maharaj in Florida.

The person said Maharaj plans on spending the holidays with his family in the Cayman Islands.

Panday and Maharaj are running for the post of leader of the party in the internal election on January 24, along with Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Warner is candidate for the chairmanship. The full lineup will be revealed on January 11.

Warner plans to launch his campaign in Felicity on January 6.

On Thursday the UNC Deputy Leader spoke with reporters about the election, telling them that Panday called Maharaj last Friday to discuss a strategy for the election.

"But the people in this country are not stupid, they are seeing through all this, it is just a matter of time before it breaks into the public," Warner said.

Party insiders are whispering about a plan to squeeze Warner out of the picture with Panday dropping out of the leadership contest and running against Warner for the chairmanship.

Panday is the current party chairman and leader, but so far he has only announced that he will seek the leadership in the election.

"That means, that if Panday wins, the children of this country will continue to suffer, the status quo will remain, the UNC will remain in opposition, the Congress of the People (COP) will be killed, and that Patrick Manning will continue to remain in power," the Chaguanas West MP warned.

However he reiterated that once the elections are fair, he knows that both he and Persad-Bissessar can win.

"Once the elections are fair, the UNC will become a force to be reckoned with. Once the elections are fair, there will be change in this country,” Warner said, adding that he expects UNC members who could vote on January 24, "would vote on performance, rather than bacchanal".

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