VZCZCXYZ0020
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #0521/01 1181741
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281741Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6758
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000521 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KCOR TD
SUBJECT: UNC EXECUTIVE:  PNM'S OUT TO GET US, BUT PANDAY'S 
STILL FIGHTING 
 
REF: A. A. PORT OF SPAIN 00488 
 
     ¶B. B. PORT OF SPAIN 00505 
     ¶C. C. PORT OF SPAIN 00253 
 
Classified By: Classified by:  DCM, Eugene P. Sweeney for reasons 1.4 ( 
b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  In an April 25 meeting with Political 
Section officers, the United National Congress (UNC) 
executive indicated their belief that former Leader of the 
Opposition Panday's conviction and sentence is another sign 
of Government harassment and abuse of the Opposition.  They 
detailed other alleged Government abuses of power and asked 
that the USG raise the issue with the Government to end their 
power madness.  The UNC leaders also derided ostracized 
Political Leader Winston Dookeran, indicating that he is out 
of step with the party and on his way out.  Further, they 
place their trust in Panday who continues to call the shots 
from jail.  This attitude of victimization along with 
unwavering loyalty to Panday is unlikely to gain the UNC any 
new support among the populace and probably will not propel 
them into Government in the next general elections, despite 
the UNC's belief to the contrary.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
UNC ALLEGES PNM IS POWER HUNGRY; MANIPULATING SYSTEM 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Political Section officers met with available members 
of the UNC Executive Council on April 25 in the wake of 
Basdeo Panday's conviction and revocation of his position as 
Leader of the Opposition (reftels A and B).  Three members of 
the UNC Executive Council, (CEO Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, Vice 
Chairman Vasant Bharath and Deputy Political Leader Wade 
Mark) and former UNC Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj 
were present for the meeting.  Overall, the UNC sees Panday's 
conviction and sentencing as just one more sign that the PNM 
has gone mad with power and is attempting to get rid of the 
UNC before the next elections. 
 
¶3.  (C) Although not yet a party member, Ramesh Lawrence 
Maharaj did most of the talking, supposedly because of his 
extensive experience as a lawyer, his prior experience as an 
Attorney General and his open lines of communication with 
Panday.  Maharaj stated, quoting from the written decision of 
Chief Magistrate McNicholls, "After its presentation, I 
determined that the prosecution had proven its case, and 
called on the defense to answer the charges."  According to 
Maharaj, this indicates that McNicholls had reached his 
decision even before the defense made its case, which is a 
violation of appropriate practice and illustrates 
manipulation by the PNM.  If nothing else, according to 
Maharaj, it is clear grounds for an appeal and likely to get 
the conviction thrown out.  Maharaj further opined that not 
granting bail as a matter of course in a summary judgment is 
unheard of in T&T, and indicates that the PNM simply wants to 
take Panday off the scene for a couple of weeks for some 
undisclosed reason.  (NOTE:  There are a couple of problems 
with these assertions.  First, it is normal for the judge or 
magistrate to determine whether the prosecution's case is 
worthy of rebuttal before calling on the defense to proceed 
with its case.  In this case, McNicholls may have been sloppy 
with his language.  Second, the UNC is ignoring the 
distinction between the constitutional right to bail before 
conviction and the discretionary right of a judge to grant 
bail based on extraordinary or humanitarian grounds after a 
conviction and while appeal is pending.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶4.  (C) Maharaj also raised his concern that the President 
acted astonishingly quickly in declaring the post of Leader 
of the Opposition vacant in less than 24 hours.  Noting that 
Prime Minister Manning announced Monday evening that the 
Acting Attorney General was in consultation with the 
President on the next constitutional steps, Maharaj 
questioned the appropriateness of this close collaboration 
and identified it as further inappropriate influence.  (NOTE: 
 After receiving her nomination from eight of the 15 
remaining opposition MPs, the President also acted quickly in 
confirming Kamla Persad-Bissessar as the new Leader of the 
Opposition, reaching a decision in much less than 24 hours 
(ref B).  END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (C) In what is likely an effort to redirect attention 
away from Panday's predicament, UNC CEO Dr. Tim Gopeesingh 
cited government initiatives such as the proposed 
redevelopment of east Port of Spain and the proposed new 
aluminum smelters in the south as indicators of government 
disregard for the consultative process.  He also alleges that 
the Director of Public Prosecutions is no longer independent 
of the Government, and pointed out that recommended DPP 
 
investigations into the activities of PNM members in 
redevelopment of the Point Fortin area have never been acted 
upon.  UNC Vice Chairman Vasant Bharath noted that 
Trinbagonians have gone numb and are oblivious to the gradual 
accretion of power to the PNM.  Gopeesingh and Mark requested 
some sort of intervention by the USG as the GOTT is "abusing 
its power and leading T&T, and even all of CARICOM down the 
wrong track.  Their actions should be disturbing to the USG 
because of the vast investment in T&T." 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
DOOKERAN:  NOT A REAL LEADER AND OUT OF SYNCH 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) The UNC executive clearly indicated their dislike for 
Dookeran.  Gopeesingh nearly snarled when Dookeran's name 
came up.  They allege that certain business interests who 
wish to maintain the status quo are financially backing 
Dookeran, as well as the PNM, so that the PNM will win the 
next general elections.  The UNC representatives universally 
derided Dookeran's leadership ability and said that he was 
out of step with the party.  Maharaj identified the February 
19 UNC Unity Rally (ref C) as a turning point in Dookeran's 
career with the UNC.  Dookeran came with a message 
dramatically different from that of the others on the stage, 
and has not been able to recover his standing with the 
rank-and-file, nor with the UNC leadership since. 
Additionally, Wade Mark noted that Dookeran was not working 
to rally the party behind Panday, which is what they would 
have expected a true party leader to do.  At the press 
conference announcing Persad-Bissessar's Leader position, 
Gopeesingh publicly derided Dookeran for being out of step 
and not supporting the party. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
NEVER FEAR, PAPA PANDAY'S GOT A PLAN... 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) At the end of the meeting, Maharaj revealed that he 
had visited Panday in jail, and informed him that they were 
meeting with embassy representatives.  Panday approved of the 
meeting and encouraged Maharaj to provide whatever 
information he could.  Panday also passed along that although 
he was in prison, he still had a plan, the results of which, 
Maharaj commented, we would see soon enough.  Mark and 
Gopeesingh highlighted the fact that Panday is inextricably 
linked to the UNC, and indicated that he will continue to 
call the shots, even though he may be outside the Parliament. 
 They pointed out that Dookeran came to power only because 
Panday gave it to him, and they hinted that Dookeran's power 
is soon to be taken away. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
COMMENT:  PANDAY FOCUS HOLDING THE UNC BACK 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) The UNC seems to have settled on a message of PNM 
abuse of power and persecution of the opposition as their 
primary talking points.  The UNC Executive is also 
maintaining a fierce, nearly dogmatic loyalty to the jailed 
Panday.  In spite of their assertions that Panday's sentence 
will galvanize the UNC and lead them to an overwhelming 
victory in the next general elections, we doubt very much 
that this is the case.  The UNC is too divided against itself 
and much of the populace is getting fed up with what they see 
as political posturing in place of action on issues of 
concern, such as crime or the cost of food.  Selecting Kamla 
Persad-Bissessar, a Panday devotee and likely hand-picked 
successor, as Leader of the Opposition means that there will 
be more of the same from the UNC for the foreseeable future. 
There is much speculation that she will merely be a 
seat-warmer for former AG Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, who would 
need to win a seat in a by-election for Panday's seat or the 
next parliamentary elections to be considered for the Leader 
position, or even for Panday himself if he is somehow able to 
get his conviction overturned on appeal.  END COMMENT. 
AUSTIN