Leaders fail to agree...again

By RICHARD LORD - Trinidad Expresss

PRIME Minister Patrick Manning and UNC leader Basdeo Panday have shelved further talks on ending the political gridlock until Ash Wednesday after failing to make any progress in their 90-minute meeting yesterday at Hilton Trinidad.

Panday emerged from the meeting declaring the exercise “a waste of time”.

Manning said very little was achieved. 

He added: “Today was not our finest hour. We do not believe that we made any progress today. In fact, what became clearer to us was the fact that those opposed to us just do not want any agreement.”

Manning insisted all the UNC was “seeking to do in these discussions is to build ammunition for the next general election, whenever it comes”.

And Panday, too, had similar sentiments about the PNM’s position.

The major issue discussed yesterday was the UNC’s demand for power-sharing. Manning said the proposal entails both leaders of the PNM and UNC selecting nine Cabinet ministers each as the proposed Cabinet is to comprise 18 members.

But Manning noted this kind of executive power-sharing would deny the Prime Minister a casting vote in Cabinet.

“We were given a proposal on power-sharing that we find completely unacceptable because it is completely unworkable. It is a formula for disaster. There would be no effective government at any level, the Cabinet, the Parliament, State enterprises and statutory authorities,” Manning said. 

Panday told reporters minutes earlier if Manning failed to agree on power-sharing, “he must do his job. He must call the Parliament and prove he has a majority”.

Panday said he would go to Parliament if Manning sought to convene it.

Manning said the PNM also found a UNC proposal to meet the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to determine how soon the new voters’ list would be available was “unacceptable”.

Manning said he was intent on convening Parliament at the end of this month with or without agreement.

“In special circumstances, yes, we are prepared to do that,” he said.

Asked how he would convene Parliament without the election of a Speaker, Manning declared: “It depends on how the corn is sharing in the Parliament, it depends on the numbers.” 

Asked if he was hoping to secure the support of some UNC members to allow for the convening of Parliament, Manning said: “I am not hoping for anything. I am merely watching the situation to see how things emerge as we go along.”

Pressed further for comment, Manning said there were a number of UNC MPs who were disenchanted with the position being adopted by Panday

Taken from www.trinidadexpress.com - POLITICS February 7, 2002