Mickela’s party can hurt UNC, say analysts

POLITICAL scientists Dr Winford James and Dr Bishnu Ragoonath yesterday said a new political party being formed by Mickela Panday could hurt the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

Consensus to form a new party was reached at a meeting at Gaston Court, Chaguanas on Sunday. The meeting was hosted by Mickela and her father, UNC founder and former prime minister Basdeo Panday.

James said given the country’s race-based political divide, “Mickela’s move would hurt the UNC much more than the PNM (People’s National Movement).” He added this could release “pro-Panday as well as younger alienated Indo energies” that could steal support from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the UNC.

For such a party to trouble the PNM, James said, it needed to be based on, “an all-inclusive agenda prosecuted by high-profile persons and groups across the nation, and transcending race.”

He recalled this type of expression was attempted through the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Organisation for National Reconstruction and the Congress of the People (COP). In each case, James observed, “It has not worked well.”

Ragoonath said if Basdeo Panday still has a large support base in the UNC, it could hurt the party. However, he said it is too early to tell the impact this new party could have.

Members of four small political parties approached him for advice over the last nine months, he said.

Saying Mickela’s party would have to “go out and sell itself,” Ragoonath said he believed the PNM and UNC would try to consolidate their bases. UNC deputy leader Khadijah Ameen is not worried about this new party. “We remain focused on the task at hand,” she said. The party saw that task as removing the PNM from power. She added that the country wants Persad-Bissessar and the UNC to return to government.

Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Rekha Ramjit was uncertain whether this new party was offering different ideas to the public.