When on August 29, 2020 I posted my political dream team headed by Justice Frank Seepersad, I included in that list Richard Sookhai as the Minister of labour. Richie, as he is popularly known, has all the credentials necessary for a political party that is trying to tap the best personnel to put in the Senate if it is trying to rebuild its stock; so while I saw him as a building block for my dream team, and Kamla might have seized upon the idea and grabbed him up, she ignored the hint and now the PNM has welcomed him into their fold and the UNC sent to a media briefing the nauseating Padarath to try and discredit Sookhai. Look who they sent, you know, Padarath – the damning epitome of how the UNC has fallen in disgrace via those who are now its representatives.
Richard Sookhai comes from a devout, successful business, Hindu family from Chaguanas and educated overseas and having returned to Trinidad to serve, the Chaguanas Chamber made him their president at a fairly young age, seeing in him the leadership potential that is so lacking in this country. But while the Chamber saw in him a leader, while I saw in him a bright political future, Kamla pursued her pick and choose journey along the way of political deadbeats and disaster. Unaware of the PNM coup, one friend sent me a text that said while PNM has chosen Richie, Kamla selects Jowelle.
In my essay last week about square pegs, I said for choice of president, it would not have been a surprise if Kamla had chosen her hairdresser; ah, I almost nailed it there, eh, Jowelle? With the choices Kamla has made, would it be too extreme to say we are dealing with a mentally challenged case here? When Kamla said she is the brightest person in the party, do you think she wants anybody around her who takes that delusionary crown from her? So when her sycophants insist that we the people should just go along and blindly vote for whatever crapaud she chooses, you are aiding and abetting in the destruction of the party. Excellence is what we should aspire to if we would not become another balisier ghetto party. The mere fact that the PNM has inducted Richie into their fold as one of their own shows that they are interested in doing a body job, while Kamla sending Padarath to be the face and voice of the UNC means nothing but doomsday for us.
So I congratulate the PNM on its choice of Sookhai and to him, Richie, know that you still belong in the dream team – this, notwithstanding.
L. Siddhartha Orie