Days before the UNC internal elections, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday has told supporters to vote for a sober captain, once his/her name is on the UNC electoral list. Speaking at a public meeting at Arena Road, Freeport, on Tuesday night, Panday again made reference to alcohol. He told supporters the captain of the UNC should never be allowed to run the UNC ship aground. He said: "You must have read the story of a ship called the Exxon Valdes. It was a tanker, a massive tanker carrying millions of dollars worth of oil from one place to another. "You know what happened to that tanker? That tanker ran aground on the east coast of Canada. All the oil all over the place killing all the animals.
"You know why that ship ran aground? The captain was drunk. You cannot therefore, make mistakes like that," Panday said. He added: "The captain of your ship is extremely important because that is the captain who will carry you. "But, the captain alone can't run the ship. The captain needs a crew and that's why on Sunday you will, not only determine who will be the captain of the ship, you will also determine who will be the crew." However, a supporter, who appeared to be inebriated, chastised Panday interrupting his speech. Panday said: "My job here tonight is..." The supporter interrupted saying: "The job is to fire you." Panday paused and invited the man to come forward so he (Panday) could see his face.
However, a security guard blocked the supporter. Panday then quipped: "It look as if not only the captain drunk, but one of the crew drunk too. He then told his supporters to take the man to a next bar and buy him another drink." He told his supporters they should not waste the opportunity to vote.
He added: "I know you are concerned about making a living and taking care of your family so you tend to say to hell with politics. "But, politics is the most important part of your life. It determines if your child gets a place in school. Politics determines the price of goods, whether you have a car or not," Panday said.
He said when the PNM was in power, people had to pay $5,000 to get their name on a list to buy a new car. He said the UNC Government changed that by removing taxes on foreign-used vehicles. However, he said, now the PNM was again in power, people were suffering to get goods and services at a decent price. Panday advised voters to be careful when deciding who would captain the UNC ship. He gave a breakdown of everyone on the Panday slate, giving their academic qualifications and work experience.