Panday tells Devant: ‘Speak the truth’

UNITED National Congress (UNC) founder Basdeo Panday is unfazed by comments by former minister Devant Maharaj about a meeting he and his daughter Mickela will be holding on May 20. “As a citizen, he is entitled to his views. All I ask is that he speaks the truth,” the former prime minister told Newsday.

Panday rejected Maharaj’s claims on Tuesday that the meeting would result in split in votes for the Opposition UNC.

He dismissed further allegations from Maharaj yesterday that his wife Oma was part of an aggressive telephone marketing campaign, calling businessmen in North and South Trinidad to attend the meeting, to be held at at Gaston Court, Chaguanas. Panday said all citizens are free to join or form political parties if they wished.

“I don’t expect that he would hug and kiss anybody who he sees as a threat,” Panday said.

On the meeting, the former prime minister said its purpose was calling for change, as there are many people in TT who want to see change in the country. The meeting, he continued, will be an opportunity for them to get together, discuss the change that they want to see and determine how to move forward.

Panday reiterated that Maharaj should not engage in “lies, half-truths and innuendoes.”

In his statement yesterday, Maharaj maintained the purpose of the meeting was to determine the viability of a new political party led by Mickela Panday. He claimed his exposé of the “clandestine meeting” has resulted in its being reduced to a “very few friends,” with some coming for refreshments so as not to offend the Pandays.

A signed poster on Mickela Panday’s Facebook page for the event, said “It’s Time.”

There were several positive comments from people on her page in response. These included, “excited,” “please run for PM” and “your country needs you, it’s your time.”