By SEAN DOUGLAS Thursday, August 6 2009

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Natasha Navas...

In a statement yesterday, Panday vowed to meet the constituents of Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner at the office of Chaguanas Deputy Mayor Orlando Nagessar, in defiance of a memo from Navas restricting the use of Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) premises.

In a tussle over the leadership of the UNC, Panday has sought to sideline the RamJackG trio by “surrogate MPs” including himself to act for Warner.



Panday vowed to begin servicing Chaguanas West constituents at the Deputy Mayor’s office at the corner of Cumberbatch and Taitt Streets, Chaguanas from 10 am.



Panday told Newsday he did not know whether or not he would meet any resistance to his visit, but said he had the right to go to the CBC.



“I am the Leader of the Opposition of the entire country. I have a right to service the people throughout the entire country, and that’s what I’m doing.”



With Warner and Tabaquite MP Ramesh Maharaj each abroad, Newsday yesterday spoke to their supporter, alderman Ramesh Ramdhan, who is responsible for security in the borough.



Ramdhan said the council had on Tuesday decided to let Panday visit the Deputy Mayor’s office, but he was not allowed to conduct meetings with Chaguanas West constituents.



“We had a legal position described in the minutes of the meeting yesterday, which we have already indicated.”



He said if Panday turns the occasion into an event to meet Chaguanas West constituents, then “the municipal police would step in.”



Ramdhan said, “We’ve instructed them to step in, if they recognise that’s what is taking place. Mr Panday cannot see people from the constituency in council offices, there’s the office of the MP for that.” However, Panday-supporter, Deputy Mayor Orlando Nagessar, rejected the idea that the municipal police might try to block Panday.



Nagessar said, “Nothing will happen. He’s coming as Leader of the Opposition. Part of his constituency cuts across the borough. He’s coming to meet his councillors at the corporation. There may also be one or two people from the area who would like to see him, and we may let them.”



Asked if the municipal police might get involved, he said their office was next door to his, adding, “I’ll tell them Mr Panday’s coming.”



Nagessar said the police work under the borough CEO who was custodian of all borough assets. “He told a council meeting on Tuesday that nobody could prevent Mr Panday, the Leader of the Opposition, from visiting the Deputy Mayor’s office.” Nagessar dismissed the idea that Navas might tell police to block Panday. He suggested Navas was taking instructions from someone, saying the memo she read aloud to councillors on Tuesday was written in legalistic language too technical for her to have penned.



Yesterday also saw Panday react angrily to Navas’ appointment of PNM councillors to head CBC committees, alleging a betrayal by Warner, a charge rejected by the Warner camp.



Panday alleged, “It’s absolutely clear to all and sundry that Jack Warner has sold out to the PNM.



“He is doing the PNM’s job of trying to destroy the UNC. I don’t think he’ll succeed. He’s obviously sold out and severed himself from the UNC.” Panday said the party would now take whatever steps it thought appropriate.



Panday shed little light on how he saw this evening’s meeting of the UNC national executive to discipline of the RamJackG trio but whom might not attend. A spokesman for Warner rejected Panday’s allegations.



“Mr Warner is not and has never been an agent of the PNM. He is a member of the UNC and continues to be a member of the UNC because he believes in what the party stands for.”



The source said Warner believes in what the UNC represents but thinks it has strayed from its founding principles of equality and freedom. Warner wants to change the UNC’s current structure which the source said has relegated the party to the Opposition.