Caribbean & Central America - February 2010 (ISSN 1741-4458)

*** PANDAY TAKES DEFEAT BADLY. Ousted leader of Trinidad's opposition United National Congress (UNC) Basdeo Panday has taken his defeat in last month's internal elections badly. He stormed out of a party meeting on 3 February after failing to secure a public enquiry into the contest. More seriously for Panday's successor as party leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Panday is still refusing to give up his role as opposition leader, a constitutional position dependent upon majority support of opposition MPs. In his latest move, it now appears that Panday is looking to form a new party with the MPs that continue to support him. For the moment Panday is holding on to his supporters within the parliamentary party, including his daughter Mikela, brother Subhas, Kelvin Ramnath, Ramesh Maharaj, Vasant Bharath, Dr Hamza Rafeeq and Dr Tim Gopeesingh. This is enough to prevent Kamla replacing him as opposition leader. Kamla says she needs the written support of one more opposition MP for President George Maxwell Richards to appoint her to the post of Opposition Leader. This unedifying rearguard action by Panday could have adverse electoral consequences if drawn out. Local government elections have to be held no later than September this year.

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