Ok,I know we have a election thread,but I felt this story was big enough.historic enough to command its own thread.
Panday bows out as MP after 34 years
Richard Charan Keino Swamber
Basdeo Panday chose to end his career as an elected politician yesterday - never showing up to file nomination papers to contest the Couva North seat he has owned for 34 years. He was the only ’dissident’ Member of Parliament not to seeking re-election.
His daughter, Oropouche West MP Mickela Panday, brother Princes Town North MP Subhas Panday and political allies Kelvin Ramnath, Dr Hamza Rafeeq and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj all showed up at Rienzi Complex, Couva, to give themselves a chance.
Panday could not be contacted by phone last night.
When Panday, 77, met with other loyalists at Ramnath’s Couva South office last week, he was the only one not to commit to seeking nomination. Had he done it, Panday’s political future would have been in the hands of the Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who heads the screening committee that would have review his job in Couva North and his political career of 43 years.
Panday and Maharaj fought and lost to Persad-Bissessar in the party internal election in January, and
Panday had to relinquish the Opposition Leader post when Persad-Bissessar secured support from MPs, including some former Panday loyalists.
Panday’s exit was confirmed by Deputy Political Leader and former Panday partisan Dr Roodal Moonilal, who made no mention of Panday during his speech at last night’s UNC meeting in Marabella.
At least two other people filed nomination papers for Couva North before the 4 p.m. deadline yesterday - former Panday press officer Sunil Ramjitsingh, and deputy Political leader of the UNC, Suruj Rambachan.
Ramjitsingh criticised Panday’s 34-year-tenure as Couva North MP, and said he had the endorsement of more than a thousand people from the electoral district. Rambachan’s nomination papers were submitted by former Chairman of the Couva North constituency executive Orlando Nagessar.
Nagessar said of Panday’s failure to offer himself as a nominee, ’I doubt very much he would do this.
But this is not the end. After election there is still life. I think he has a role to play. This is a senior statesman and it is a pity it had to come to this.’
Richard Charan Keino Swamber
Tuesday, April 13th 2010
Basdeo Panday chose to end his career as an elected politician yesterday - never showing up to file nomination papers to contest the Couva North seat he has owned for 34 years. He was the only ’dissident’ Member of Parliament not to seeking re-election.
His daughter, Oropouche West MP Mickela Panday, brother Princes Town North MP Subhas Panday and political allies Kelvin Ramnath, Dr Hamza Rafeeq and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj all showed up at Rienzi Complex, Couva, to give themselves a chance.
Panday could not be contacted by phone last night.
When Panday, 77, met with other loyalists at Ramnath’s Couva South office last week, he was the only one not to commit to seeking nomination. Had he done it, Panday’s political future would have been in the hands of the Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who heads the screening committee that would have review his job in Couva North and his political career of 43 years.
Panday and Maharaj fought and lost to Persad-Bissessar in the party internal election in January, and
Panday had to relinquish the Opposition Leader post when Persad-Bissessar secured support from MPs, including some former Panday loyalists.
Panday’s exit was confirmed by Deputy Political Leader and former Panday partisan Dr Roodal Moonilal, who made no mention of Panday during his speech at last night’s UNC meeting in Marabella.
At least two other people filed nomination papers for Couva North before the 4 p.m. deadline yesterday - former Panday press officer Sunil Ramjitsingh, and deputy Political leader of the UNC, Suruj Rambachan.
Ramjitsingh criticised Panday’s 34-year-tenure as Couva North MP, and said he had the endorsement of more than a thousand people from the electoral district. Rambachan’s nomination papers were submitted by former Chairman of the Couva North constituency executive Orlando Nagessar.
Nagessar said of Panday’s failure to offer himself as a nominee, ’I doubt very much he would do this.
But this is not the end. After election there is still life. I think he has a role to play. This is a senior statesman and it is a pity it had to come to this.’