– Examples of Guyana, Dominica and Jamaica
IN OUR 15-member Caribbean Community, it is still a rarity for a woman to be elected leader of a parliamentary party or, to become Head of Government or Head of State.

This may explain why there are lively public discussions and much political excitement currently in Trinidad and Tobago over the likelihood of a woman — Kamla Persad-Bissessar — being elected to lead the opposition United National Congress (UNC), of which its founder-leader remains the irrepressible, charismatic Basdeo Panday.

Talking women’s power in UNC camp, and with open encouragement coming from across ethnic and gender boundaries, is the newest political development in Trinidad and Tobago.

It remains a nation where, for all the massive expenditures to change the architectural landscape and prepare its citizens for a repeatedly promised “developed country status” by 2020, have not resulted in much political comfort for the government of Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

After the Christmas season is over, and before intensification of preparations for Carnival 2010, the UNC is planning to settle at its coming January 24 delegates conference, a leadership battle that currently threatens its future as an alternative government to that of Manning’s People’s National Movement (PNM).

The indicators point to a very bruising battle ahead to replace Panday with Persad-Bissessar — the woman he has mentored for many years and currently a deputy leader who opted this past week to declare her decision to contest the party’s leadership next month.

It is certainly not going to be easy. Nor is it easy to predict with any certainty the outcome, although the cries of support for ‘Kamla’ come from among the rank and file of the UNC, as well as from among women and other admirers in the wider multi-racial society. One of her staunchest and most influential backers is FIFA’s ebullient Jack Warner, the other deputy leader of the UNC.

He is known also for his capacity as a ‘generous’ funder. Having originally announced that he would personally challenge Panday for leadership, Warner decided this past week to instead back Persad-Bissessar, while also planning to contest the party’s chairmanship.

Panday is currently both leader and chairman. He has been facing recurring, widening criticisms for “political arrogance” and a “proprietary approach” in leadership of the UNC.

Be that as it may, it nevertheless seems ill-advised at this stage to write off the crafty Panday who has survived many political battles and overcame various challenges.

Those developments would also span the period from when he co-founded the United Labour Front (ULF), to its subsequent transformation into the UNC, and the later incorporation of an ‘Alliance’ wing to bear the current acronym, UNC-A.

The first trio
Having a woman as leader of a major parliamentary party is, as noted earlier, a rare political development in the CARICOM region.

The few exceptions would be Guyana, Dominica and Jamaica, in that order.

In the case of Guyana, Janet Jagan, a formidable champion for political independence and fundamental rights of women, was a co-founder of her People’s Progressive Party; first woman Prime Minister; and first woman Executive President.

In Roseau, the lawyer, Mary Eugenia Charles founded and led the Dominica Freedom Party from 1968. By 1975, she was elected parliamentary Opposition Leader, and became Prime Minister five years later.

Jamaica’s Michael Manley once jokingly referred to her as “that old battleaxe” during the years of spreading intra-regional political tension following the bloody collapse of Grenada’s revolutionary experiment, and the United States military invasion, for which she had played a key role, alongside Edward Seaga and Barbados’ Tom Adams.

In Jamaica, the honour of becoming first woman leader of a parliamentary party — the People’s National Party (PNP), one of the oldest in the Caribbean — fell in 2006 to Portia Simpson-Miller, popularly known as ‘Sister P’.

She took over from the retired PJ Patterson, the country’s longest serving Prime Minister; led the PNP into the September 2007 general election, and lost to the Jamaica Labour Party under Bruce Golding’s leadership.

Now that Golding’s 28-month old administration is facing enormous challenges to overcome worsening fiscal, social and economic problems as it prepares to introduce new taxes following a stringent aid agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Simpson-Miller is talking as if already sensing a return to power of her PNP.

It is in Trinidad and Tobago, however, where political excitement is on the rise with a mixture of the reported declining popularity of both Prime Minister Manning and Opposition Leader Panday.

More significantly, the speculations of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a fierce public speaker, defeating her mentor Panday for leadership of the UNC.

The bad news of declining popularity among traditional support bases for Manning and Panday came from an opinion survey recently conducted by the well known political scientist, pollster, and columnist, Dr Selwyn Ryan.

While both political leaders have scoffed at the poll’s results, even questioning Ryan’s credibility, Panday seems to be facing his toughest challenge yet to avoid being ousted as leader at the coming UNC delegates congress by the woman politician who had been a very loyal and critical supporter during multiple political and personal challenges.