THE end of an exciting era in party politics in Trinidad and Tobago is rapidly drawing to a climax with last week's dramatic decision by Basdeo Panday - one of that country's best known, charismatic, crafty and enduring political figures - to bow out of electoral politics.

Rickey Singh

Three days after he was granted bail on April 27 and released from a prison cell where he had spent almost five days on conviction for failing to declare details of a London bank account to the country's Integrity Commission, the 72-year-old lawyer-politician surprised his party and close colleagues by announcing his resignation as chairman of the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

The UNC, with its "rising sun" symbol, is the creation of Panday, whose vision, energy and abounding capacity for unpredictable political decisions formed the vehicle that took him to power in 1995 as multi-ethnic Trinidad and Tobago's first prime minister of East Indian descent.

That was the pinnacle of some 40 years in public life, combined initially as a trade unionist and later fully as a politician in various parties and roles.

Thousands of 'UNCites', among them party executive members, who had gathered at a public rally last Monday to show support for their "dear leader", clearly wounded by the unexpected two-year maximum prison sentence - now to being challenged before the Court of Appeal - were visibly shaken by Panday's resignation announcement, read to them by one of his two daughters, Mikela.

Shocked executives, among them newly appointed Kamla Persad-Bissesar, an ex-attorney-general and firm Panday loyalist, as well as Winston Dookeran, the party's leader with his own "wing" in the fractured party, were immediately thrown into speculating on the future of a UNC without its founder/leader and primary mobiliser of popular support.

An emergency meeting of the party's executive council, controlled by Panday's loyalists, have decided to reject his resignation letter and to canvass instead the views of the various interest groups of the UNC, including the women and youth arms, for him to remain.

However, while the UNC continues to expose its weaknesses with two factions yet to even decide on who should be the party's Chief Whip in the House of Representatives, the indicators were pointing, at the time of writing, to an irreversible resignation decision by the mercurial political fighter now confronted with an apparent losing legal battle and deteriorating health problems, not the least being heart-related.

The prevailing sentiment, therefore, seems to be: "The king is dead. Long live the king."
An amusing moment came the day after Panday's resignation was announced, with Prime Minister Patrick Manning remarking that he was "sad to see him go", despite their differences; and that he planned to "talk with him".

The new opposition leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, quickly reacted with all the sarcasm she could muster in revealing bitterness over Panday's conviction and incarceration: "Manning's sadness is like the crocodile tears coming from those who really want him to go..."

Although she did not say it, her comment had the implicit ring of finger-pointing against those within the pro-Dookeran wing of the UNC who feel that Panday's exit from the leadership could result in a healing process that culminates with the former central bank governor rising to effective leadership of the party and then assuming the logical position of parliamentary opposition leader in an arrangement with Persad-Bissessar.

But others within the party, as well as independent political observers think that under the influence of Panday - even before his conviction a fortnight ago - the sword had been drawn against the emergence of Dookeran as party leader and, by extension, opposition leader.

Further, there is the intriguing statement in Panday's letter of resignation as read, significantly by his daughter Mikela (whose involvement in UNC politics must not be ruled out), that he would stay with the party "until death do us part".

Though he no longer intends to be involved in electoral politics, and consequently has no need to hold any official post in the UNC - or what basically remains HIS party - the old veteran in political craftiness, said he was giving up electoral politics for a "new kind of politics - politics at a higher level; that is politics that will determine politics".

Therefore, with his appeal and another case involving bribery allegations pending, the question is whether the great "warrior" of opposition politics in Trinidad and Tobago is playing games with his party and followers?

Or could it be that the reputed "silver fox" of post-independence politics in that twin-island republic of Caricom is engaged in a new strategy aimed more at Prime Minister Manning's governing People's National Movement, even as his doctors seek to manage him, health-wise, on a daily basis?

Is this a strategy designed, amid speculations of a likely snap general election, with the hope of giving his UNC some space to work out today's bitter internal politics and, at the same time, let the nation come to understand something of his pledged "new politics that will determine the politics of Trinidad and Tobago"?

We shall see, as the turmoil within the UNC continues to unfold and the guessing game continues about the "politics" being played by the 72-year-old silver-haired fox.

Media and Paget's new role

Freedom of the media and what, separately or together, irrespective of location of boundaries, they could provide in enabling our efforts at regional integration and unity, remain central to the commitment of media enterprises I happen to work for, among them of course, the Jamaica Observer newspapers, with whose editors I share this collective commitment.

One of the finest of the region's journalists, Paget deFreitas, with whom I have had a long working relationship from our days with the now defunct Caribbean News Agency (Cana), long before he distinguished himself as editor-in-chief of the Observer, is now scheduled to take up, as of May 15, the new appointment as editor of overseas publications of the Jamaica Gleaner, that spans publications in Britain, USA and Canada.

The teenage stringer who had joined the Cana staff back in 1977, and who became its pioneering editor of Cana Business, specialising in financial and economic journalism, has covered an admirable professional journey.

He has, in the process, earned a stout reputation in defence of press freedom, in encouraging and sustaining established norms of ethical professional practice and in being quite vigorous in his advocacy of the goals of the Caribbean Community.

When his resignation from the Observer was made public officially on January 26, it was said of him by the company's chief executive officer, Ed Khoury that: "To the extent to which the Observer is now regarded as the standard bearer for Jamaican journalism is a reflection of the intellectual depth and well-honed journalistic expertise that Paget brought to the newspaper."

Well, I happen to know, though he would not discuss it, that Paget has turned down an offer from the Caribbean Communications Network (CCN) to become the editor-in-chief of the company's newspapers, the Daily and Sunday Express of Trinidad and Tobago.
This choice allows him to remain with his family in Jamaica and continue his dialogue with colleagues across the media fraternity in this country which boasts a proud history of defending media freedom and the wider freedom of expression.

Paget would also be aware while he works for the Gleaner, of the admirable professionalism and commitment of two long-standing colleagues who have, since his departure, been appointed in the dual role of executive editor.

The two veterans being, respectively, Vernon Davidson, who acted as editor-in-chief before his appointment as executive editor - publications in charge of all Observer publications; and Desmond Allen, executive editor - operations, managing the editorial department and assisting in editing of the Observer.

As one who continues to cover the "Caribbean beat" and who has the pleasure of being a regular columnist and contributor to the Observer newspapers, I take this opportunity to record my personal best wishes to Vernon and Desmond and also to Paget in his coming new role in journalism with The Gleaner.

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