Ato and politicians in election season
Ato Boldon and Basdeo Panday
October 2, 2000
By A. H. Hotep
If Ato wishes to avoid the redicule of those who can clearly see flaws in his character, he should avoid politicians in this heated election campaign season.
It is good to hear him state:
“It is not the first time that I will be returning to Trinidad and Tobago in the height of an election, but I know that with the Olympics there may be a lot of people that will see some political signal in anything, so I believe that I am intelligent enough to stay away from any of that,” Boldon told the Sunday Express yesterday, as he reflected on the Olympics from Sydney.
“I will not allow myself to be used as any pawn by nobody, so I know that I will have to be somewhat careful and I expect that arrangements for my appearances will be worked out accordingly. As far as I know there have not been approaches by any political party towards me and no one has asked me for anything as well. I believe that in the past, I have done a good job and no one can affiliate me to any particular political party or group and I like it that way and I will do my best to ensure that nothing happens while I am in Trinidad and Tobago, that could be interpreted as pulling me into one direction or another,” he added.
Last week Boldon's handlers issued a media release stating that all arrangements for his visit are to be handled by the T&T Chamber of Commerce. The Ministry of Sport has handled similar homecoming functions in the past.
“My job is to run for my country and give of my best and I am not about being used to facilitate other people's goals or ambitions, I want this time with the people to be about me walking and talking with them and I will not be involved in any political meetings or any gatherings like that,” he said.
Boldon's schedule in T&T will be controlled by the Chamber, headed by Hubert Alleyne (a close family friend).
“We have the utmost respect for Hubert Alleyne. He is a professional and he knows how to deliver. He is very good at ensuring that the objectives of my visit will be met, which is to meet the people of my country again and to give thanks to them for all their wonderful support.
“He knows that this not a political visit, where I will be giving support to any party, so if anyone had those ideas, then they had better forget such.
“Anyway I don't believe Trinidadians are so easily fooled by well known people giving support to a party just for so. We are much more smarter people than that,” he declared.
Little does Ato know that if he won Gold at the Olympics, the Basdeo Panday UNC would have made financial advances to him in such quantities that would have made it difficult for him to refuse to be part of their propaganda campaign. We will measure how much the government is privately advancing to him by his conduct when he returns.
Quote from Ato Boldon was taken from the Trinidad Express
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