The man who gave Trinidadians the famous quote that politics have a morality of its own died at home on Monday, Jan. 1 plunging the twin-island republic with Tobago into mourning.
Basdeo Panday, the federation’s fifth prime minister and the first of Indian extraction to lead the oil and gas-rich republic of 1.3 million died peacefully at his home, surrounded by family as he had wished. He was 90 and had recently returned from the US where he had gone for a medical evaluation. He had had serious heart issues in the past including triple bypass surgery and an angioplasty procedure back in 1995.
His daughter Mickela, herself a former parliamentarian, announced his death on social media late Monday, saying that “he passed with his boots on, keeping everybody around him on their toes with his wit and humor. He will live on in all of us, remembered as a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, leader, and friend. He was an inspiration to his family and everybody that knew him. We will continue to celebrate his life and treasure the time we were able to spend with him.”
Panday, known, loved and respected for his wit and dramatic skills, had served as prime minister from 1995-2001. His tenure was characterized by some spectacular infrastructural improvements including the construction of the new Piarco International Airport, considered as the best and most aesthetic in CARICOM.
Regarded as one of the nation’s best prime ministers, Panday unfortunately got himself into criminal trouble when he was charged back in 2005 along with a slew of former ministers, businessmen and close confidants in relation to runway corruption and overspending for the very airport. The charges were later dropped. He was also acquitted on charges for failing to declare a London bank account to the integrity commission. The airport probe and case remain the biggest criminal investigation in Trinidad’s modern-day history.
The late PM had an interesting ride to parliament and to the prime ministership.
He began his political career after returning from legal and drama school studies in London when he joined the Workers and Farmers’ Party and failed in a bid to win a seat in the legislature. Later with political and labor rebels George Weekes and former army officer Raffique Shah, they formed the United Labor Front (ULF) in the mid-70s he first entered parliament on a ULF ticket and also became opposition leader.
Tired of the dominance of the People’s National Movement (PNM), Panday and others formed the Trinidad and Tobago National Alliance and they won general elections in 1981, serving a single term as the coalition had disintegrated amid internal bickering by the leadership.
Commenting on his death, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said Panday had made his mark on local and regional politics.
“It is with sadness that I received the news today that the actor, lawyer, labor leader and politician Basdeo Panday has passed on. This is a man, a citizen, whose impact was felt at every step of the way as he made his mark so indelibly on the people of our nation. Having served the nation for so long and in so many different ways, with such resolve and panache, he can only be recognized as a true believer in this nation and its potential. Now that he is no more, we are called upon not just to mourn but to celebrate his life and endeavor to be worthy colleagues of his legacy,” Rowley said.
