Kamla praises Panday but says he's too wounded to lead

Kamla Persad-Bissessar went into a stronghold of the United National Congress (UNC) Thursday night to ask devoted and loyal supporters of UNC leader Basdeo Panday to reject him and make her leader.

In an impassioned appeal in Dow Village, California, the Siparia MP traced Panday's struggle on behalf of the people and praised him for his love and dedication over the years.

"I say without fear of contradiction that Basdeo Panday has been the greatest fighter for the people. He fought for you and for all us," she declared. "He is a hero and will always remain a national icon. He deserves it because he fought a brave fight for you and he won many battles," she said, adding that there will always be room for Panday in the UNC.

But she noted that times have changed and he will not lead the party back to government, which is why they must change their leader.

"The PNM and their propaganda have wounded Mr. Panday ever since they pulled down his legitimate majority government and installed Mr. Manning. Ever since then they have persecuted Mr. Panday and they will never stop," she said.

Persad-Bissessar traced the gradual decline of the UNC under Panday's leadership, noting that after winning the most votes ever for a political party - 308,000 and 51 per cent of the popular vote in 2000 - the best the party could have done in the last election was 29 per cent.

And she noted that in that election 90,000 UNC members deserted the party. "They were too fed up with being in opposition and were lured away by the hope of new politics. But they are ready to come home. They are UNC ‘til they ded!" she said.

"But they will only come home when we welcome them with open arms. Not when we insult and abuse them at every turn. They will come home when they feel love and affection," she said as she blamed Panday for crushing the hopes of unity.

"We cannot unite when we refuse to talk. We cannot solve problems when we are part of the problem. When Mr. Panday asked me to seek unity with the opposition the message was clear from everywhere. We cannot do it with Mr. Panday," she said.

She said it is clear that under Panday's leadership the party risks becoming opposition for life and urged the UNC membership to vote with their heads, not hearts, on January 24.

"No matter how much we love Mr. Panday you have to admit that this nation is saying he cannot take us back to government," she said. No leader who has lost four consecutive elections should continue to lead, she added.

Persad-Bissessar admitted that she did not "stand in the rain in Aranguez" when the party was founded but she noted that she has been loyal ever since she entered "the house of the Rising Sun".

She said, "I have learned from him what service means and I have learned from him the value of hard work and commitment.

"I have learned from him that I must stand up for the people, that I must stand up for what is right. I am the pupil who is ready to graduate...And I am here to claim my rightful place in our party."

She pledged that she will always remain loyal to the UNC and will protect its interests.

"I am here to tell you that the party that you built with love and sweat will remain UNC. And nobody is going to change that...This is our party and it will always remain our party."

But she said it is time to stop living in the past and look to the future. The country, she said, is under the yoke of an oppressive regime that needs just one more electoral victory to introduce a dictatorship. And she said so long as Panday remains leader, it will happen.

"Stop holding on to false hope, stop believing our own propaganda that we will hug and kiss and Mr. Panday will lead us back to Whitehall. It not going to happen! It not happening!" she declared.

In pleading for their votes to make her leader, the Siparia MP said, "You want a prime minister not a leader of the opposition. You have been in opposition for too long. It’s time to move on."

She told supporters they hold the future in their hands and that they are the only ones who can make the difference to save the nation from ruin. "You can squander it or you can shape the future," she said.