Newsday Editorial

A dangerous campaign is being waged by the Opposition United National Congress aimed, initially, at throwing the People's National Movement administration off balance. Unfortunately, in the process, the country is in real danger of being even more destabilised than through the danger it faces from increasing crime.

The announcement by a trade union leader that Government planned sending home hundreds of workers from two highly sensitive public sector enterprises - the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and the Water and Sewerage Authority - a claim which Government has since denied, has not only added to the confusion but to feelings of insecurity.

Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday, has made an unsubstantiated claim of terrorism, and the equally unsubstantiated assertion that the Government was linked to Al Qaeda 'elements'. Not to be outdone, a former United National Congress Cabinet Minister, Senator Sadiq Baksh, has joined the chorus and spoken of terrorism in the country.

Mr Panday's charges, coming as they have in the preoccupation of the United States of America with Al Qaeda sponsored and/or encouraged acts of terrorism, in the wake of that organisation's terror attacks of September 11, 2001, have undoubtedly done damage to the country. And while, they may not have been the cause of recent negative travel advisories issued by the Government of the United Kingdom and the Pan American Health Organisation with respect to this country, nonetheless the statements of a former Prime Minister with respect to his own country, should be expected to carry some weight.

This is so particularly as Mr Panday was Prime Minister and Minister of National Security up to a mere 14 months (and a few days) ago. An additional factor is that he is today the Opposition Leader of Trinidad and Tobago's House of Representatives.

We, however, prefer to be guided by events, which do not suggest any evidence of political terrorism here. What appears to be in evidence is a clearly obvious plan by the UNC to push the fires of instability by whatever name. The plan may also be seen as early campaigning for a brought forward General Election, an election which is not constitutionally due before January of 2008.

We must bear in mind in this unfolding scenario, Mr Panday's regular claims that the October elections were “stolen” and it is now only a matter of time before the Government falls. If a little - or a big - push from the UNC helps so much the better.

There are those who would dismiss this as mere wishful thinking on the part of someone who has lost power. But while this may indeed be so, we must consider the damage that Mr Panday is doing to our country.

The period following on last year's General Election in which the 20-16 result laid the critically important foundation for international acceptance of political stability, coming after the uncertainty triggered by the 18-18 result of 2001's election, has been the silly season of continuous irresponsible statements.

With the highly unusual situation of having to undergo three General Elections in just under two years, the country should have been allowed to be about its normal business of attracting domestic, regional and international investment, job creation, consolidation and education and skills development.

Instead, post 2002 General Election, Trinidad and Tobago has been awash with statements of well crafted irresponsibility, as well as being part of an uncomfortable worldwide pattern of increasing crime.

In addition, while it is the duty of a Government to respond to any action which it may see as injurious to the nation, and ipso facto, deserving of correction and informed comment, nonetheless Government unwittingly adds to the unnecessary confusion, when it threatens the media.