RLM expected to be in full control of the UNC in the future

[Somebody007]

What allyuh think of the above statement. We all know why Mickela is sticking around but when Panday is serving his jail time he won't have no say in running the show. Hence why I believe RLM is only returning to power to gain control of the UNC party.

[vaio]

nah...from what i understand, most ppl still not happy he back in the party...Mikela will lead after Bas..go golden grove.. :mrgreen:

[JPersad]

What allyuh think of the above statement. We all know why Mickela is sticking around but when Panday is serving his jail time he won't have no say in running the show. Hence why I believe RLM is only returning to power to gain control of the UNC party.
I think it will be Mickela .
Panday logic is that Mickela have a better chance of her winning her seat than RLM .

I personally think RLM blew all his chances, having lost what little credibility he had left .

[Somebody007]

What allyuh think of the above statement. We all know why Mickela is sticking around but when Panday is serving his jail time he won't have no say in running the show. Hence why I believe RLM is only returning to power to gain control of the UNC party.
I think it will be Mickela .
Panday logic is that Mickela have a better chance of her winning her seat than RLM .

I personally think RLM blew all his chances, having lost what little credibility he had left .



Doh expect RLM to simply sit down and watch Mickela run d show eh. I expect the man to be strategically involved in the line of things. I not too confident of Mickela handling that whole party on she own. RLM could easily pull the rug from under her using some good witty intelligence.

[cm103]

No doubt in my mind Bas grooming her to take over the business but once he goes then all bets are off. He could warn her but I don't think she ready now for the levels some of the people in there willing to stoop to get the leadership role.

[JPersad]

What allyuh think of the above statement. We all know why Mickela is sticking around but when Panday is serving his jail time he won't have no say in running the show. Hence why I believe RLM is only returning to power to gain control of the UNC party.
I think it will be Mickela .
Panday logic is that Mickela have a better chance of her winning her seat than RLM .

I personally think RLM blew all his chances, having lost what little credibility he had left .



Doh expect RLM to simply sit down and watch Mickela run d show eh. I expect the man to be strategically involved in the line of things. I not too confident of Mickela handling that whole party on she own. RLM could easily pull the rug from under her using some good witty intelligence.
With the exception of the older heads , RLM will not have the support of younger UNC / undecided supporters.
Under Mikela , the UNC will not last , the younger generation are nt keen on Political Dynasties .
That is my opinion anyway .

[Somebody007]

No doubt in my mind Bas grooming her to take over the business but once he goes then all bets are off. He could warn her but I don't think she ready now for the levels some of the people in there willing to stoop to get the leadership role.


Ahhhh, yuh get my point, and that is why RLM will pull the rug from under she without Mickela not knowing or understanding the whole situation. Mickela lacks experience in this whole sphere while Ramesh knows the ins and outs of politics. By this time, when Bas heads to jail, all the UNC supporters will simply shift over to the COP. I expect in the next 5 years, once Dookeran is in good health, he will make a serious contention to gain his stature in politics. Until then, Dooks is still young with his new party. Ah hope Dooks healthy enough to stay in politics this long.

[cm103]

Well regardless if the UNC changes its leadership for the better or worse. The COP as a political party isn't dependent on the image of Dookeran to stay alive. As long as someone can step up who has the ideals and leadership ability then they stand a chance of carrying on.

[Scorpio]

Mikela will be a breath of fresh air on the politcial scene, I would support her as UNC leader.

[JPersad]

My prediction is any which way you look at it , there is going to be a nasty fight for the UNC leadership .This will ultimately lead to their final demise .
But I think this will be better debated the day after election .

[vaio]

No doubt in my mind Bas grooming her to take over the business but once he goes then all bets are off. He could warn her but I don't think she ready now for the levels some of the people in there willing to stoop to get the leadership role.


Ahhhh, yuh get my point, and that is why RLM will pull the rug from under she without Mickela not knowing or understanding the whole situation. Mickela lacks experience in this whole sphere while Ramesh knows the ins and outs of politics. By this time, when Bas heads to jail, all the UNC supporters will simply shift over to the COP. I expect in the next 5 years, once Dookeran is in good health, he will make a serious contention to gain his stature in politics. Until then, Dooks is still young with his new party. Ah hope Dooks healthy enough to stay in politics this long.

Mikela is against RLM because of past experiences...she is not the only one though..but Bas has spoken and he wanted RLM to join the UNC so nobody dare say anything...

[snowbird]

Well regardless if the UNC changes its leadership for the better or worse. The COP as a political party isn't dependent on the image of Dookeran to stay alive. As long as someone can step up who has the ideals and leadership ability then they stand a chance of carrying on.

Exactly, while Panday thinks UNC is his 'family owned business', Winston does not feel that way about the COP.

Panday projects 'himself' or one of his family members (which is why three of them running) as the savior of 'their race', and the answer to all of T&T's woes ; Winston simply presents 'the COP organization' as an alternatinve to the current crooked governance; this is why it was so difficult for him to even consider joining any alliance, he couldn't act for whole organization since there's is a democracy and he never got the mandate of their followers to do this (unlike Mr. Panday who simply made the decision on his own to align).

My prediction, if Panday looses the election, or worse off goes to jail, he will 'mash up the party', rather than have anyone else run it.

[Parsifal]

I have noticed that this thread has totally discounted Kamla. You guys are way to funny.

Just a few weeks ago it was Kamla this and Kamla that. Lets just face it.....you just love the Panday mystique! Just like in the PNM they used to pray for Erica to come back and lead them.

[vaio]

while it may be wise for Kamla to lead...as long as Bas is alive or dead she won't get a chance...isn't she forever the bridesmaid... :?:

[lou_uk]

This is not news.. Take a read...


http://www.ttonline.org/showthread.php?t=27260

Interesting.. So what become of Kamla?

After playing a high-profile role in the appeal of former prime minister Basdeo Panday, former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj tells Guardian Newsdesk Editor Prior Beharry that he would like to look to the future and not dwell on the past.

He also says he will contest the general election under a UNC banner and even take up the mantle of leadership of the party, if the people will have him.

Would you contest a seat for the UNC in the next general election?

I did not do all of this to contest a seat. I would like the UNC to win an election. My entry into the politics for an election would only be if we had a strategy to win.

I have explained to Mr Panday that I really do not want to enter parliamentary life to be in opposition. I want to be able to re-enter to win an election and when I am convinced, or if there is a strategy to win, and if the party is all geared to win an election, or if I could help the party with a strategy to win... Because after all, in the party now, there are only two persons who know or have an idea how to win an election—Mr Panday and myself.

With the greatest respect to them, we have to get a strategy to win an election. And no amount of experts could give you that, it has to be practical experience.

And I think I know what the membership wants. And if Mr Panday is not leading the party into an election, I know who the membership would want to lead the party.

You?

Well, I know who the membership will want. And, therefore, I think… I am leaving my fate to my political future, if there is any, in the hands of the people.

So you are willing then to take up the mantle if asked?

Oh yes, if the membership of the party wants me to do it, I will take up the mantle. But, I will take up the mantle and explain to them that we’re going into this thing to win. I have no doubt whatsoever that the UNC has the potential to win the election and if it employs the right strategy, it will win and it will win with a special majority.

But, I do not think, with the greatest of respect, that the present strategy can win an election.

Do you think that the people have forgiven you? You were described by Mr Panday as neemakharam and maha neemakharam? Can you get past that?

Well, I think that is up to the people because in politics, people say all kind of things. If you go to worry what people say in politics...you would have seen the reaction of the UNC members on February 19, and let’s face it, you always have propaganda and the PNM has started a new propaganda.

If it is that I was involved in this prosecution (of Mr Panday) as an attorney general, then it would have been a conflict of interest, the state would have been able to take that point.

So are you saying that you had nothing to do with the information on Mr Panday’s bank account, for which he was charged?

No, as a matter of fact, the record will reflect that this event took place when I was no longer attorney general.

But it is always said that you initiated the investigations...

That’s propaganda. I appeared in the matter and if that was the case, that would have been a conflict of interest. Mr Cassels would have had to raise it. I could not have been involved in prosecuting and then been involved in defending.

But the PNM will come with a massive public smear campaign against me because they are mortally afraid of the Panday-Ramesh or Ramesh-Panday combination. [Laughs].

The strategy to win the next election; does that involve unity of the opposition forces, especially in relation to the COP?

I think COP is not as powerful as the media makes it powerful. And I mean certain sections of the media. COP had its meeting on Sunday (last) and this was supposed to be its major one. The figures are confusing some say 2,000, 2,500 some say 5,000. When I have a civil rights organisation meeting, I bring 5,000 people at a big meeting.

Any political party that has potential would have had to draw about 15,000 people at a meeting like that. Therefore, I think that COP… they have admitted that they are not fighting this election for this time.

They are fighting for the 21st century. Some of them would not be around when the 21st century comes to an end. So I do not understand.

But, could the UNC get the votes on the East West corridor?

Yes, if the UNC has the right strategy. They got it in 1995 and they got it in 2000. They will get the votes. But the party has to have excitement, the party has to excite the ground level. And if you do not have excitement at the ground level, you will not be able to have mobilisation necessary for the party to win.

Mr Manning is giving the party every opportunity to win the election. Mr Manning is the best public relations officer for the UNC. In the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, the Opposition has to show that it is an alternative government.

The Opposition in Parliament should have been able to bring down the Government; make it a government that is not creditable. There should be real confrontation.

That is why I am saying politics is not a university. Politics is war, it is drama, it is appealing to the man on the street; appealing to their hearts.

They must feel a passion to go out and support you. They must feel that they have to move Manning; they have to move him at all cost.

Right now, there should be a different climate in the country with what is happening and what the Government is doing… that is why I am saying that a real aggressive strategy could take the Government from Manning.

New people would come into the UNC and feel part and parcel of the crusade to remove PNM.

Could the PNM really be beaten given social programmes such as URP and Cepep and also with allegations of house padding?

Oh yes, if you have a swing, that will not help Mr Manning. As a matter of fact, in 1995 a lot of money was spent, but people felt confidence in the Opposition to go for it.

In 2000, they felt confidence in the UNC.

Would crime be a factor again?

Oh, I think that crime will be the most important issue in this election. I think the smelter issue and the smelter policy of the Government will be important.

I think the social issue and the Chief Justice and the Panday issue, if used with good political strategy to show the man in the street that what happened to Panday and Sharma could make them lose their house as people lost their houses in Guyana and affect fundamental rights and democracy, I think Manning would be painted as such a terror that even PNM supporters will not vote for him.

People say they cannot trust Mr Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj. He brought down the UNC Government and now he has come back.

What is preventing you from doing the same thing again?

Well, some people say that and some people would peddle that and that would be the PNM propaganda now. But the records will not show that.

As a matter of fact, the record will show, that since I was expelled from the UNC, the UNC has not won an election. And the record will show that until I was expelled, what contributions I made to the party.

I am not indispensable, but what I can tell you is that having regard to politics, you need people with experience, you need people who have experience in strategy.

You do not read this strategy in the book and that is why Mr Panday is a powerful politician. He is a practical politician. He has strategy because of his experience and what I have is…people thought that I would die, politically die by now.

Remember, I do not have a seat in the Parliament, I do not have a position in the UNC, I have no official position as a politician, but for the last four to five years I was alive, I was everywhere in Trinidad.

Do you regret what you did? Causing the fall of the UNC Government?

You are always prefacing your statement on the basis that I caused the fall. I did not cause any fall. And I would ask you to go back and see what happened. I did not cause any fall.

But, when the three of you left…

That didn’t say I caused the fall… I did not leave, you know. I was expelled…

You no longer supported the government of Mr Panday?

No, we supported the government, but I don’t want to go back to all that…

Any remorse, any regrets about the decisions you made then?

I think we made our position clear in the last few months. And I don’t think the people of T&T are interested in going back because if we have to go back, we would not be able to go forward.

Both Mr Panday and myself have decided we are not going to fall in any trap to go back because that is what the PNM wants us to do. And we are not going to go back.

In politics events occur and what you have to do is to look ahead and what we see in the future is that if we love the people of T&T, we have to make the right decisions, we have to make the right sacrifices.

Back to the question you did not answer. Can people trust Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj?

Well, what do you think?

I don’t think that you would come here to have an interview with me unless you think I had some public support or major public support.

So I think you have to ask them. [Tremendous laughter].

[cm103]

I have noticed that this thread has totally discounted Kamla. You guys are way to funny.

Just a few weeks ago it was Kamla this and Kamla that. Lets just face it.....you just love the Panday mystique! Just like in the PNM they used to pray for Erica to come back and lead them.

I forget she in truth yes...

The way I see it, she has to be elevated to some position of power by Bas to be accepted back into the leadership heir-apparent circle. I don't think Bas making the same mistake twice though with appointing Kamla to any position over RLM anytime soon. Allyuh remember when he appoint Kamla as acting PM instead of Ramesh back in the day how d man get vex and what he do?

At some point he go have to choose which horse to back. If he push Mikela and the Executive don't like that then there might be another mass exodus from the party.

[King B]

Once Bas is out of the way the jackels in the UNC will eat Mikela raw. :x

[skl]

post Bas it go be Warner/RLM vs Kamla. Mikela might be on KPB side and even be touted as her successor with loyal Kamla serving as the bridge between Panday B and Panday M. Mikela still real young to be taken seriously as leader. 10 years from now though......

so the question is who would win control of the UNC. a RLM/Warner alliance or KPB supported by Mikela?

[Maccogirl]

Some of you should study what will happen to the COP after election, especially if Dooks don't win his seat, UNCA and PNM are the same if Bas or Manning dies in the morning those two parties will live on so have no fear about that one, your focus should be what will happen to the COP after election day.

Will all the old NAR/ONR farts go into hibernation once again till the election bell rings again, who will lead if the COP leader gets beaten, will Dooks hang around unemployed and broken, will the Frech creole and Syrian backers move back into the arms of the loving PNM, man all you have a lot of things to study other than UNCA business :lol: :lol: :lol:

[cm103]

Macco you really does disappoint sometimes yes...you does really lose most of your message in your bitterness.

Look again at the title of this thread and come again....a lil hint also...nobody here could predict the future so it's just speculative.

I doubt Dookeran will be unemployed for long. He'll be picked up by the private sector. Bas on the other hand, well the UNC is his legacy and all he has really so he have to hold on for as long as possible.

Like RLM in charge hit a nerve?

[Parsifal]

.......Will all the old NAR/ONR farts go into hibernation once again till the election bell rings again, who will lead if the COP leader gets beaten, will Dooks hang around unemployed and broken, will the Frech creole and Syrian backers move back into the arms of the loving PNM, man all you have a lot of things to study other than UNCA business :lol: :lol: :lol:

MG they have gone into hibernation already. The proof is in the money.....follow the money.....it has not gone to the COP......but yet Patos is filling maxi taxi like mad every night....along with the PTSC buses!

So just like I have been saying before the Syrians and French Creoles may have had a brief dalliance with the COP but after the UNCA rally at Mid-Center Mall they realized that the old Bas was not done as yet! They are not a community willing to put good money on something that was not a sure thing and they realized that they could not ride the backs of the "backward ******s" a 2nd time!

The fact that John Rahael continued to speak on PNM platforms said alot....he was their man in the PNM and it is clear that that has not changed.

I know that this is off topic but some of my fellow posters have not really been looking at this angle carefully.