INFIGHTING in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government in 1988, caused then United Labour Front (ULF) leader Basdeo Panday and other members of his party to split from the coalition government.

Panday accused then prime minister Arthur NR Robinson and the government of discrimination against Indians and autocratic rule.

Robinson reshuffled his cabinet in response, and Panday found himself with reduced ministerial responsibilities. Before the reshuffle, Panday was external affairs and international trade minister

The infighting continued, culminating with Panday, Kelvin Ramnath, and Trevor Sudama being expelled from the party on February 8, 1988.

Panday and the other expelled ministers founded the Caucus for Love, Unity and Brotherhood (Club 88), which he revealed in October would become the United National Congress (UNC) on April 30, 1989.

Economic decline, austerity, racial tensions and, above all, the July 27, 1990 coup attempt led to the NAR being swept out of power in the 1991 general election by the PNM.

The UNC, led by Panday, became the official opposition.

The 1995 general election was a defining moment in Panday’s career.

Then prime minister Patrick Manning called an early vote, expecting a victory.

But the election ended with the PNM and UNC holding 17 seats each, and the NAR holding two.

Despite the bad political blood between them before the NAR lost power in 1991, Panday was able to use his political negotiating skills and statesmanship to persuade Robinson’s NAR to join the UNC to form a coalition government.

This brought the UNC into power for the first time and Panday became TT’s first Indo-Trinidadian prime minister. In exchange for his support, Panday promised to make Robinson president. When PNM MPs Vincent Lasse and Dr Rupert Griffith crossed the floor to join the UNC, Panday no longer needed the two NAR seats to keep his coalition government together.

But he honoured his agreement with Robinson who was elected as president on March 18, 1997.

Panday and Robinson had subsequent disagreements as prime minister and president.

[caption id="attachment_1055839" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Former UNC MPs Jack Warner, left, Vasant Bharath, right, and opposition leader Basdeo Panday during a media conference in 2007. -[/caption]

One of which was Robinson’s initial refusal to agree to Panday’s request to appoint defeated UNC candidates in the 2000 general election as government senators. One of those candidates was incumbent Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal who unsuccessfully challenged Manning for the San Fernando East seat in 2000.

As prime minister from 1995-2001, Panday passed several policies which he continues to be praised for.

Panday decided the May 30 holiday Arrival Day, which commemorated the arrival of East Indians in TT, should be called Indian Arrival Day.

Panday felt the Common Entrance exam was preventing many from being able to achieve a secondary-level education owing to difficulty. If a primary school student did not reach a