Former prime minister Patrick Manning has chosen to remain silent on the reported death threats against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three other senior Cabinet Ministers.Manning, who revealed at a political meeting in Arima, prior to the 2010 election, there was a plot to assassinate him, and later, in Point-a-Pierre, that similar threats were made by drug lords, said he had "no comment," on the issue yesterday.However, Basdeo Panday, another former prime minister, responded to the threat with some scepticism.
He said politicians were known to create "all kinds of ruse" when they faced criticism for non-performance and in the circumstances one had to determine whether the threats were real or fake.Panday also questioned whether that was another red-herring to justify the extension of the state of emergency, scheduled to end on December 5.Speaking from his home in Palmiste, a short distance from Persad-Bissessar's private residence, Panday berated the public manner in which the allegations had been handled.
He said threats came with the office but the difference was in the manner in which it was handled."As Prime Minister you receive several threats, some from crazy people, some from people who are not so crazy," he added.He said, in the circumstances, the proper thing to do was not to make it public but have the police quietly investigate and so get a positive outcome."I recall, when I was prime minister, Mrs Panday was going to San Fernando and the security came to my office and said there was a threat on my life and Mrs Panday. She was asked to return home but nobody ran to the press," Panday said.
He also questioned the role and function of Gary Griffith and National Security Minister John Sandy, the latter, who, he said, should be making pronouncements on the matter.In spite of his scepticism, Panday said if the threat on the life of the Prime Minister was genuine, "we must look at the causes, not only deal with the matter of arresting persons and having it pursued before the courts."
