Mickela Panday
In seven days time, the United National Congress (UNC) will no longer be able to call the Rienzi Complex, the place of its birth 27 years ago, its home, having been served a legal notice by the All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union (ATGWTU) to vacate the premises by the end of July 2016.
For those of us who truly love the party this came as no surprise as over the last six years, the party's headquarters, much like the party itself, had become nothing more than a shell of its former self, beginning with the coup d'�tat that took place on January 24, 2010. Six years later, most of those who participated and subsequently presided over the collapse of all of the party's institutions have all but disappeared off the political landscape, with some still profusely apologising for the part they played...a case of too little, too late for a party they brought to its knees.
Sadly, to date, the flagrant disregard of the party's Constitution and the shameless neglect of the party's supporters continue unabated, which is why the loss of the party's home feels even more unsettling, as its headquarters was the only constant in the past six dormant years. Throughout the numerous electoral losses, and the increasing disjoint between the party's leadership and its supporters, there was one place we could always return to. That was why when after the crushing defeat in the general election, people ascended in droves upon their headquarters to show their love for and loyalty to their party, looking for comfort, support and leadership in the place of their party's birth, but instead waited in vain for a political leader who never came. Perhaps, that was a sign of things to come.
So what does this eviction from its home mean for the party and its loyal supporters? To answer that question, it is imperative we examine the history of the relationship between the party and the union.
The All Trinidad Sugar Estates and Factory Workers' Union was founded in 1937 by its first president general Adrian Cola Rienzi to represent workers in the sugar industry. After the death of its third president general Bhadase Sagan Maraj, Basdeo Panday became the union's fourth president general in 1973.
He immediately noted that despite the fact the union had collected huge sums of money in membership dues, it did not own a headquarters and instead was renting a room upstairs Sports and Games on Mon Chagrin Street, San Fernando. He believed this was totally unacceptable and his first goal was to acquire a permanent home for the union, owned by the union. He was able to raise $50,000 and purchased a property at 12 Hobson Street, San Fernando.
A couple of years later, Basdeo Panday decided to erect a permanent residence for the union with a cultural centre and was able to get Caroni Ltd to give a piece of land to the union in Exchange Village, Couva. The union did not have enough money to build its own headquarters and borrowed $80,000 from a bank which insisted that Mr Panday personally guarantee the loan by taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on his own life with the bank as beneficiary. He agreed. John Humphrey designed the building and Basdeo Panday, together with friends and supporters like Robert Ramsamooj, turned the cement themselves and constructed a permanent home for the union, owned by the union and named it after its late founder, Adrian Cola Rienzi.
The union's new president general founded the ULF in 1975, Club 88 in 1988, and UNC in 1999, all of whose headquarters were housed in Rienzi Complex as many members of the union were members of those political entities. It was their building and their decision to use it as the headquarters. Basdeo Panday remained the union's president general until he became prime minister in 1995, leaving the union with ten million dollars in assets.
Today, without as much as a murmur from the party's current leadership, its supporters for the first time since 1975 have no permanent home. To make matters worse, the crime that was perpetuated on election night against the supporters by leaving them to fend for themselves in a time of despair seems to be repeating itself.
Let us not forget the local government elections are due in three months time so now more than ever, the party needs to hear from the leadership who should be focusing on getting its election machinery fully in place, and not scampering looking for a home, without candidates knowing in advance where they are to be screened.
These actions of the political leader and her executive only further demonstrate that the "UNC" being kicked out is not the UNC which was born out of Club 88 as none of the present leadership, including the leader herself, were there when the party was formed, know how it came into being, or know the purpose and goals of those who built it.
As the eviction draws nearer, it is clear this lack of love and loyalty to the party is the cause of where we are today, the current leadership having destroyed the democracy and good name of the UNC and all that it stood for.
Sadly, if this deterioration continues the UNC will inevitably fare badly in the local government elections and if that happens, it will be the UNC leadership that will have to go.