The appointment of Public Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke as a temporary UNC Senator is not yet certain.
This, despite the announcement yesterday by Duke and UNC's political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the PSA's head office on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Duke said he had engaged in a "marathon" dialogue with UNC members Persad-Bissessar, Jack Warner and Roodal Moonilal targeting a "number of issues pertinent to the working class," including the controversial Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Bill which sought to replace the Customs and Excise and the Board of Inland Revenue. He said the UNC had decided to give him favourable considerations to serve as a senator for one day to bring the PSA's fight against the TTRA bill in the Senate.
Duke said he would be representing the PSA, not Watson Duke, and that he had no personal interest in politics but felt he was needed to bring the voice of the people straight to the highest echelons of Government. However, the appointment of Opposition senators, is done by the President acting on the advice of the Opposition Leader. Contacted last night, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said he was not told anything about the UNC joining hands with PSA to fight the TTRA bill. When asked if he would consider appointing Duke as a temporary Opposition senator, he said he had not been asked and had to be asked before he could say anything. He quipped: "Have you forgotten, I am not in charge anymore."