Politics and differences were put aside when politicians, businessmen, friends and family came together at the Vistabella home of the late prime minister Patrick Manning, during his wake on Saturday night.
Hymns and prayers were heard coming from inside the Mannings’ home at Sumadh Gardens and those who attended described the atmosphere as peaceful. Members of the media were not allowed to attend the wake.
Manning, 69, died at the San Fernando General Hospital around 8.15 am, two days after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia.
In an interview with reporters in front the Mannings’ home, attorney Mickela Panday, the former Oropouche West MP and daughter of United National Congress founder Basdeo Panday, said her immediate reaction to Manning’s death was shock.
“It happened very quickly,” said Panday, who has not spoken to her parents, who are abroad, since Manning’s death.
She described as “fabulous” the period of politics when her father Basdeo Panday and Manning were in their prime and butting heads.
“It was a difficult type of politics, a different time,” she said, adding there was always great debate then. She said a couple months ago she was lucky to see Manning and he gave her words of wisdom.
Personally, she said her greatest memory of Manning was the 33-3 defeat the People’s National Movement suffered to the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), after 30 years of consecutive rule. What she learnt from Manning was to stay strong, stick to what you believe in, don’t flip flop and fight to the end. Describing the wake as nice, she said: “It was peaceful, calm, great fellowship.”
Saying he had known Manning all his life, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, who also attended, said Manning was an inspirational and incredible leader who, like other PNM leaders, was charismatic and energetic.
“Public life is really a difficult experience. It can be a drain on your soul at times to be the target of criticism, to be the target of some of the not so pleasant things in life.” He said the strength to forge ahead came from the strength of others and Manning was one of those people.