Former leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Basdeo Panday remains in a fighting mood even though he has now lost the battle to hold on to the post of Leader of the opposition.
He remained in that position following his defeat as leader of the UNC party because the constitution allows the person with the support of the majority of opposition MPs to be the official leader of the opposition.
That changed over the weekend with the announcement from two of Panday's loyal MPs announcing they will support the party's new leader.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar now has the support of Tim Gopeesingh, Roodal Moonilal, Nizam Baksh, Jack Warner, Harry Partap, Winston "Gypsy" Peters and Chandresh Sharma. Together with her own vote, that gives her a majority but leaves the party divided for now.
Panday's support is from his brother and daughter, both of whom are MPs, along with MP's Kelvin Ramnath and Hamza Rafeeq. It's not clear where Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj stands.
Speaking with local media, Panday said Gopeesingh's move to support Persad-Bissessar as Opposition Leader is a betrayal.
But that's not how the Caroni East MP sees it. He told reporters Saturday he would never betray Panday, noting that his decision is for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Read the story: Gopeesingh comes on board to make Kamla opposition leader
Panday told the media he and Gopeesingh spoke "a few days ago" and gave assurance "that I had his support".
Panday told the Trinidad Express when Gopeesingh advised him that he had changed his position he had nothing to say to him.
Panday said he is not planning to resign as opposition leader and clear the way for Persad-Bissessar.
He told the paper, "I have not made any decision and I do not have to make any decision.
"What has to happen, a vacancy is only created when the president is informed by the majority of members of the Opposition that they want somebody else as the leader of the Opposition," he explained.
He said if he quits he would be accused by people of abandoning their struggle and "I am not going to do that."
2 comments:
WHo the hell would accuse Panday of abandoning them in any struggle, what madness really going on in this place> Listen their was an election, in that election, a new leader replaced Panday, now I could be wrong but this seems to me that the people has abandoned the poor leadership of Panday, look I gone yes because I may have to cuss, and would not want to be banned from this forum.
The Party we call the United National Congress is, at last, bigger than ANY of its parts! Which is what we who started it intended it to be.
Now! On to governance!
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