Letter: No need to panic about slow pace of opposition unity talks

Wendy Lieung, Deputy Political Leader of the COP may be panicking prematurely.

The speed she is seeking, to save replication of effort in the nomination process is ill advised. Now is the time to “make haste slowly”.

There is nothing wrong with each party short-listing 41 candidates for eventual pruning. Political attractiveness remains very important.

Recall that the two Tobago seats should be left confidently for the TOP to contest with their leader’s promise of supporting the UNCOP leader. His antagonism to the PNM is well established.

With Kamla and Dookeran out of the country, some deliberation is understandable.

Airing of opposition differences publicly at this time is a definite “No-No.”

PNM agents are busy trying to deny the elections’ imminence hoping to keep the Opposition in a state of unpreparedness.

Let each party continue to make its own preparations and agree at this time on accommodation for a one on one contest. Each may also prepare a rough manifesto and vision statement for melding into one eventual document.

Hoping to have accord starting from scratch is not likely. But it is imperative that willingness to collaborate in coalition must seem naturally conclusive.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest that the PNM continues to have its entire support base. The combined opposition must continue on its thrust to coalition.

M.F. Rahman - via email