Basdeo Panday (born May 25, 1933) was Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976-1977, 1978-1986, 1989-1995 and 2001-present. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North, a position he continues to hold.
Born in Princes Town, Mr. Panday was educated at Presentation College , San Fernando, Lincoln's Inn, London (Law), London University (Economics) and London School of Dramatic Arts (Drama). Prior to studying in London he worked as a sugar cane weigher, a primary school teacher and a civil servant. Upon his return to Trinidad he entered politics and ran for Parliament as a candidate for the Workers and Farmers' Party in 1966. It was as legal advisor to the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers' Trade Union that he built his political base among sugar workers. He first entered Parliament as a Opposition Senator. In 1976 as Leader of the United Labour Front he won the Couva North seat and was appointed Leader of the Opposition. On August 9, 1977, Panday was replaced as ULF leader and Leader of the Opposition by Raffique Shah (MP for Siparia and former revolutionary). On March 31, 1978 Panday, having regained control of the party, was re-appointed Leader of the Opposition. He co-founded the National Alliance (with A.N.R. Robinson and Lloyd Best ) to fight the 1981 elections, and later co-founded the National Alliance for Reconstruction with Robinson and Karl Hudson-Phillips. Following a convincing electoral victory in 1986 Panday fell out with Robinson and was later expelled from the party. He then founded the Council for Love, Unity and Brotherhood (CLUB 88) which became the United National Congress. In the 1991 General Elections the UNC succeeded in displacing the NAR from the Indo-Trinidadian Heartland (newcomer Hulsie Bhaggan defeated political heavyweight Winston Dookeran for the Chaguanas seat), but the party only won 13 of 36 seats nationally. It improved this margin to 17 in the 1995 General Elections elections. With the support of the two seats held by Robinson and the NAR, Panday was appointed the country's first Indo-Trinidadian and the first Hindu Prime Minister.
Under the leadership of Mr. Panday the UNC went on to win the 2000 election, but internal strife in the party forced another election in 2001 which resulted in a tie. Taking a page from the United States Supreme Court, President Robinson appointed Patrick Manning Prime Minister despite the fact that the UNC won the popular vote and that Panday was the sitting Prime Minister.
Basdeo Panday is married to the former Oma Ramkissoon and has four daughters, two from his first marriage.
