THE Movement for Unity and Progress has only one Member of Parlia Jnent in Trinidad and Tobago But her ambition Is to become Prime Minister

And unlike former-"BriUsh Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 38-year-old Hu Isle Bhaggan Intends lo take other women with her

There.are only five other women In Die Caribbean na tions 36-inernber Parliament, but she says that half her party's candidates in the next election, due in December 1996 will lie female

Her -ambition seems a dis tant dream, considering that she entered Parliament only three years ago and her party Is no more than a breakaway faction from the main opposl lion United National Congress (UNC) and was launched only In December

But the diminutive Bhaggan has shown she Is .1 fighter and is widely regarded as honest articulate and Intelligent

Says Dlun.i Mahabir WyulL an injlrpmdenl member of the Up|>cr House el Parliament We must respect hv for her views and strong detertnlna Hon

That aSses^uent is shared by her 73 vrar old father. Neeranjan Hulsie is a selfless person and goes ull out to seek justice She does nothing half way H is always 100 per cent "

A management graduate Bhaggan shot into national prominence a year ago when she blocked traffic on a high way in protest against the government’s failure to deal with floods in her constituency.

Defiantly she chose to spend a week in Jail rather than pay a fine for illegal squatting. Her action won her thousands of supporters, though UNC leader Basdeo Panday accused her of "being a loose canon and tndisctpliried.''

Early last year she again infuriated Panday by alleging that the police were reluctant lo arrest black men who were raping Indian women.

The claim was dynamite in a country with two distinct ethnic groups: people of African descent and those of Indian origin, brought to the country, like Bhaggan s own Hindu grandparents to work as Indentured labourers on British-owned sugar estates.

Panday said her allegation was dividing society though *it helped push the government into appointing a Crime Commission The rift widened, culminating tn her expulsion from the party

Her supporters claim Panday made the move because her growing popularity posed a threat to his position

Her outspokenness Is prove by her willingness to tackle head on the twin taboos of race and gender - last year she challenged a hallowed part of Trinidadian culture, calypso musk by introducing a parliamentary motion opposing ihe denigration of women in calypso songs.

My main problem Is that I have dared to challenge and seek entry Into the men's

club in politics." she says. "When a woman becomes involved in politics, she must be seen, not heard. If she is heard, it must be merely to express her gratitude to the men who gave her the opportunity to be these.

Tn the current situation, a woman* Is not supposed to ex press an independent and Strong view But I intend to disrupt the status quo contribute towards modernising politics in Trinidad and Tobago.

She is the driving force of the new party, .leadership of which consists mainly of UNC politicians disenchanted with Panday and with her treatment. She sayb it will , "introduce a new political culture and bridge the racial dh vlde " She says the existing political culture discourages njany decent and honest citizens from Joining politics: We Intend to change that. Unless such people enter the political arena, there will always be cor ruption in government."