Panday cancels motorcade; Jack, Kamla have big plans

Basdeo Panday abruptly cancelled a motorcade for Saturday without explanation but two other contenders for top posts in Sunday's United National Congress (UNC) election have big plans.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar winds down her campaign for the party's leadership with a motorcade in her region and Jack Warner has planned a similar campaign push, ending in an all-star cultural show at the Jubilee grounds in Felicity.

It's the first time that Panday is facing opposition for the leadership of the party. Although Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Persad-Bissessar are challenging Panday for the leadership, Panday's campaign has been only against the Siparia MP.

He has not bothered with Maharaj, who has supported Panday during the campaign. Maharaj has reciprocated, often praising Panday and attacking Persad-Bissessar.

This has led to allegations of a deal between the two men. Earlier in the week Panday met with Maharaj at the office of the MP for Couva south, which fuelled speculation that there was a deal.

But both Panday and Maharaj dismissed that as groundless. Panday explained that he had gone to the office to conduct some business and "bounce up" with Maharaj and they exchanged "pleasantries".

While Warner and Persad-Bissessar are touring their respective regions in motorcades, Panday's MPs would be pounding the pavements and streets trying to win over voters.

For most of the campaign, Panday has attacked Persad-Bissessar as unfit to lead the party primarily because of a "weakness", which was an euphemism for calling her a drunk.

He has also derided many of the candidates who are opposing him and he has drawn a connection between Warner and Persad-Bissessar, calling them the KAMJACK team.

Both have denied working together in the campaign.

Persad-Bissessar has responded to Panday's statments about her weakness with a confession. "I have a weakness," she told supporters earlier in the week. "My weakness is that I have supported Mr. Panday blindly for too long!"

This election has the atmosphere of a general election campaign with meetings, rallies and other events drawing mass attendance in some cases.

In penal Friday night, Persad-Bissessar drew a crowd estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000. She delivered a speech in which she urged UNC members to dispense with the old and move forward with a new leader capable of facing the challenges of today.

She also outlined her credentials, pointing out that she has more than served her time and is ready to take on the leadership of the party and the country.

Maharaj is continuing his one-on-one campaign of walkabouts to meet people and explain why they should elect him leader.

The mood among supporters of Persad-Bissessar is upbeat but many of those rallying behind her cannot vote. There are just over 34,5000 eligible voters in the whole country.

Tobago will be at a disadvantage because although there are 1500 members there the party has refused to establish a polling station in the island.

Warner wrote the party Friday afternoon advising that he has found a location and will cover the expenses, but so far the elections committee has not responded to him.

Despite the public display of support for Persad-Bissessar a NACTA poll suggests that Panday is still ahead although it is a tight race.

NACTA suggests that Maharaj is gaining support at Persad-Bissessar's expense. The poll says Panday's continuous attacks on Persad-Bissessar have hurt her chances of winning.