Letter: A personal view on Basdeo Panday

There was once a time not to long ago that absolutely no one could have told me anything negative about Basdeo Panday that would convince me sufficiently to utter a single bad word about his Leadership of the United National Congress.

My office was adorned with his photographs; when I answered my phone sometimes I would jokingly say "Basdeo Panday speaking, can I help you". That was the degree of unquestioned loyalty, tabanca, respect, blindness, whatever you called it, I had for the man called Basdeo Panday.

In 2007 I had the very God lucky privilege to work closely and understand first hand the behind scenes workings of the United National Congress among the privileges I had was to get closer to my hero Basdeo Panday and to hold one to one discussions with him, honestly, he opened my eyes politically to many things. both good and bad.

While on the campaign trail preparing for the upcoming 2007 general elections, I was appointed coordinator for the Tunapuna constituency by the NATEX and accepted the challenge.

This paved the way for me to go and meet people that I would have only imagine or dreamed about.

We went places within the constituency of Tunapuna where the UNC campaign teams of the past were ran out and stoned by the constituents.

My team and I were welcomed everywhere that we went, paving the way for the candidate not to be bothered by security issues and to meet the widest cross section of constituents.

Everywhere we went in the constituency the most common issue and problem that the constituents had was not crime, water, health or cost of living. While these were important, their main concern was Basdeo Panday.

They loved the UNC but refused to support the party until Basdeo Panday was removed as Political Leader. The type of nasty things that were being said of my leader left me in a state of shock and disbelief.

As coordinator I had no choice but to investigate these allegations by the constituents who played significant rolls in past elections and had a huge influence on our base supporters in Tunapuna and who were withholding their support until and unless Basdeo Panday was removed as Leader; some people wanted him totally out.

All my effort to resolve and bring healing withing the constituency yielded very little results.

I communicated my findings and concerns to the leader Mr Panday and at every turn was dismissed and ignored. This hurt me very much as my hero was now giving life to all the negative things that were being said about him and his leadership.

To make a long story short, I had to as the old people would say put my tail between my legs and deal with the boulders that were being thrown at us by way of abuse, not directed at us but at Basdeo Panday.

Everywhere we went the discussion was always,"why all yuh doh run Panday out of the party?"

In December 2007 not too long after the general election I resigned as coordinator of Tunapuna, clearing the way for me to research and find ways to get answers and solutions to many of the questions and concerns that the constituents of Tunapuna had and later as I would find out Trinidad & Tobago.

I started writing Basdeo Panday almost daily seeking answers and solutions to questions that I found so difficult to believe and honestly at one time hoping to prove to the constituents of Tunapuna that they were wrong and misguided; days turned into weeks that turned into months and at every turn and attempt by myself, Basdeo Panday refused to meet with me or to answer the concerns.

My research then went to a national level only to be stunned as the Tunapuna concerns were also national concerns.

I intensified my communications to the Leader and when he refused to answer any of the legitimate concern that the membership had I started communicating with the National Executive.

They were instructed by Basdeo Panday not to respond to any of my questions and or concerns. The situation became worse weekly as more and more issues and irregularities were being discovered.

Without getting into details, members of the NATEX who were honest about what was happening in the party started to speak out and it was from this that the revolution of CHANGE led by Mr Jack Warner was formed.

And the struggle started to correct the many ills that the party needed to address, including a demand that internal elections. I salute Mr Jack Warner for defending the voiceless and taking a stand that only true heroes can.

I tell you today that without the conviction, vision, dedication and hard work of Mr Jack Warner the UNC would still be in the gutter of the Basdeo Panday politics and leadership.

The defenders of Basdeo Panday opposed CHANGE with venom, hate and rage, the likes I would not wish on my worse enemy. Today some of those persons are in the frontline of the party pretending after knowing the facts, still defending the wrongdoings of Basdeo Panday that helped keep us in opposition for as long as we did.

It hurts me tremendously to admit that Basdeo Panday deceived and misled the membership of the UNC, that he has failed as a leader and he doesn't have the best interest of the members of the party nor citizens of the country at heart.

And what happened in Parliament on Friday 5th March 2010 in his deliberate act of betrayal to the membership of the UNC, and people of Trinidad & Tobago proves my point.

We can no longer feel empathy for Basdeo Panday; he has crossed the line of human decency, patriotism and loyalty. Enough is Enough, Panday must go NOW.

Richard Hosein - via email