Dear Editor,
After years of anguish, supporters of the UNC could claim a small victory as the party finally made a change.
The membership, including elected representatives, hoped the party would change course and reenergize its base. They were hoping that the party would be all-inclusive and all-embracing.
The membership had grown tired of the old politics of hate, recrimination, name-calling, and the citing of those with opposing views as dissidents, traitors, and unpatriotic to the cause.
The membership was now weary of the adulation to the leader, they were fed up with her saying how much she loved them, and they were downright disgusted to see the number of queer persons occupying the top positions in the party.
The membership was not impressed with the ‘jokey’ budget consultations the party foisted on them, with virtually the same people attending the sham perpetrated on hapless people.
The membership was annoyed when the leadership excluded certain members from the consultations and foisted the lower pretenders in constituencies which they felt were antagonistic to the egomaniac leader.
The membership was on the edge when the leader used leaders of friendly parties as pawns on a chess board, parading with them as allies and then spitting them out as enemies to her crown.
The membership was fed up with the amount of continued electoral defeats and the empty slogan of the return of the Queen to the office of the Prime Minister.
One could only imagine the bated breath and unbridled expectation when members learned that there was a change in the party.
At last, they felt that their misguided and delusional leader had finally come to her senses and decided to step down. They felt a burden being lifted from their backs which they were forced to carry for too long. They felt that at long last the party was allowed to attract the finest and the best citizens to formulate plans to assist the country.
Members were prepared to go down to the UNC headquarters with steel pan and tassa, with African drummers and Indian dancers singing in unison ‘Free at last, free at last’.
Alas, disappointment was etched on the faces of everyone when they found out that the big announcement was that the leader, after consultation with obeah men and other faith healers had decided to change the color of the UNC jerseys from yellow to blue!
This they were told would ward off evil and ‘badeye’ and protect her royal highness.
At least the hope lasted for a few hours!
Rabindra Moonan. San Fernando.