Panday turns 87, vows to help daughter in elections

Even at 87, there is no stopping former prime minister Basdeo Panday as he embarks on another chapter of his political career.

As the general election is due, he said he cannot stand idly by and watch the country continue along its current path.

Panday, speaking on his birthday on Monday, said, “We are in a terrible position. I am not in the government and therefore, I do not have all the facts and I don’t know what they are doing and how they are going to deal with the economy. I may simply have to wait and see.

“Or I may have to intervene in the politics myself. I certainly cannot sit down quietly. I am ready and I am at a stage where I can handle anything.”

Panday said with certainty that he will be supporting his daughter Mickela Panday and her party the Patriotic Front (PF).

“I will certainly join her. I will certainly be her adviser and I hope she contests all 41 seats,” he said.

Last year, Panday celebrated his birthday with the launch of the PF and noted then that this was no coincidence. He said the PF will turn out to be the best political party in the Caribbean.

Panday, who served as prime minister from 1995 to 2001, added that the PF has a new structure of choosing candidates and it would not be that of the current system employed by political parties.

He explained, “The parties choose someone from within the party even though that person is incapable of doing anything. There are people in Parliament who can do nothing to develop the country.

“The PF will invite people who are capable of running the country properly: they do not have to be belong to the PF. We need to call upon the young, bright, intelligent, hardworking people.”

Panday celebrated his birthday with family and close friends in an intimate setting at their home.

He told Newsday that his family always planned surprises but covid19 has somewhat restricted that.

He offered some advice about long, healthy living and called for more love and unity in TT.

“The secret is being happy. If you are capable of being happy, life can be so enjoyable.

“Once you have hate, bitterness, greed, envy and spite in your heart, you can never be happy. Because if I hate you, then all day I will be thinking about how to hurt you.”