Express - September 10, 2000
By Raffique Shah
METHINKS UNC politicians, who have literally lorded it over lesser mortals over the past five years, should make peace with Patrick Manning and the PNM and seek advice from the balisier bunch on how to survive when they are booted out of government. I make this bold statement for two reasons. Firstly, I've never seen a government work so hard at losing an election as this one-except, perhaps, if one were to look back at the series of gaffes committed by Manning in the months leading up to the snap election he called in 1995. And secondly, I believe if they find themselves back in opposition after the election, the "UNC Posse" would be so traumatised (if they are not psychologically prepared), we run the risk of having a massive number of political "jumbies" running around the place like headless chickens.
Up until a few months ago, the political scale appeared to be evenly balanced, which was little different to the 17-17-2 election result we had back in 1995. In fact, several polls conducted by recognized pollsters over the past year more or less confirmed that perception. And when the balance of power hangs so tenuously, it invariably favours the incumbent party, since in government it can, and invariably does, use its lien on power to "buy" votes. An example of that is the hasty paving of hundreds of kilometres of road that's currently underway, which is not unique to this administration. And an early Budget 2001, laden with "goodies", is also a time-tested pre-election gimmick.
Suddenly, though, it appears that Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, for all the bravado he displays in public, is suffering with a severe bout of nervousness. How else can one explain his irrational behaviour, and that of his senior colleagues? Take the spats between the PM and John Humphrey on one side, and House Speaker Hector Mc Clean on the other. Its genesis lay in a rather routine statement by the PNM's Keith Rowley, accusing certain government ministers of either being involved in, or of condoning, massive corruption at the Piarco airport project.
The Prime Minister instructed Attorney General Ramesh Maharaj to write the Speaker seeking to have him take action against Rowley via the Privileges Committee of Parliament. Mc Clean correctly declined to so act. I say correctly since if every time an MP makes such allegations the Speaker were to act, then we would end up with a very small House of Representatives, so widespread are such charges by just about every opposition politician. And here I write with authority: I sat with Panday during the 1976-81 parliamentary term as we of the ULF hurled allegations of corruption against PNM ministers and party honchos (John O'Halloran and Boysie Prevatt had already made their exit from the House).
I recall, for example, Errol Mahabir turning purple (you know how it is with "red man"!) when charges of corruption flew from our side. Kamaluddin Mohammed, on the other hand, was unfazed by our charges, even when they were directed at him. I've long maintained that he and Muriel Donawa are the politicians with the thickest skins you'd ever find! Bunny Padmore would throw back some words at us, Eric Williams would remain engrossed reading some newspaper or document (but his hearing aid was tuned in), and Speaker Arnold Thomasos would be bobbing up and down in his chair, trying to maintain order.
So for Panday and Humphrey to come now and complain about the Speaker not acting on such allegations is downright dishonest. It's a case of "do so 'ent like so", as Trinis say. But why pick a fight with Mc Clean on the eve of an election? It seems that Panday forgot that Mc Clean was his trump card in the borderline Tunapuna seat in the last election (he lost to Eddie Hart by a few hundred votes), and alienating him at this time could prove to be detrimental to any chance the UNC has of taking that seat this time around. Lest Panday feels that with Jack Warner on his side he does not need the likes of Mc Clean, he should have his head examined.
In fact, Warner was the next faux pas I was coming to deal with. So many people have asked me why Panday has chosen this stuttering dumbo as his riding partner at this critical point in time. I have run out of plausible answers. Warner is a walking-and-talking-liability for any political party. I see he has taken leave from FIFA starting next month to campaign for the UNC. My advice to Panday is to ask Sepp Blatter not to grant him leave. The man is capable of turning off thousands of people who might be fence sitters and who are still waiting to decide which way to vote. Warner cannot win a village council election in Longdenville (where he grew up), far less help the UNC win in Tunapuna-or anywhere else.
Then there is the problem of Panday foisting candidates on his party groups (and members) where the people do not want them. In safe UNC constituencies, that is not a problem, since any crapaud-with-a-rising-run-tie will win on the strength of the party. So if he endorses Adesh Nanan in Tabaquite, or Ramesh Maharaj in Couva South (a done deed), there will be no negative fallout for the party except the loss of a few hundred votes. But when 13 of 43 party group chairmen resign over the choice of Fuad Khan in San Juan/Barataria, that is cause for concern. In St Joseph, where UNC supporters do not want incumbent Mervyn Assam, another Warner-like turn-off, talk is that Panday wants to give the seat to Carlos John, not Om Lalla, the choice of the people.
This is not the first time Panday will have foisted his blue-eyed boys (or girls) on hapless, powerless party supporters. One of these days I shall write about how Hafeeza Khan came to be the ULF candidate for St Augustine, a 24 year-old mystery that many still ponder over. Or I may choose to explain how "peewat" Kelvin Ramnath grew into a political giant-with feet of clay. Suffice it to say that based on my experience with Panday, albeit many moons ago, I am not surprised at his pre-election blunders. In 1976, on the eve of the election, he almost single-handedly cost us the 10 seats the ULF won by one act of indiscretion, committed at a bazaar held at the Balmain recreation ground. Those who were there on that rainy, muddy Sunday, will know of what I write.
The bottom line for the UNC does not look good at this stage. It could have been better, even a sure thing. But with Bas's blunders-and believe me, there are many more to come as the election temperature rises-I sense trouble. Which is why those ministers who have thrived on abuse of power should seek lessons in how-to-return-to-earth from the PNM. In fact, they could have Muriel, Kamal, Vincent Lasse and Rupert Griffith conduct classes on how to grovel for the sake of office. And Desmond Cartey, who holds down some big job with the UNC government, may want to tutor then in confessing how "all ah we t'ief!"-and living to "t'ief"...er, fight, another day.
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Copyright © Raffique Shah
