UNC Senator Wade Mark will breathe a sigh of relief when he enters the Senate today, after being retained in the UNC's Senate team by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar..
However, Mark has been replaced as the Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate by Dr Surujrattan Rambachan–one of several new Senate appointees.
Others are "fired" Senator Lyndira Oudit, former NAR/UNC minister, Mervyn Assam, and women's activist Verna St Rose-Greaves. Current UNC Senator Christopher Joefield–appointed three weeks ago to replace Oudit–will also be retained. Mark, 57, received the nod of approval yesterday, despite comments on Monday by UNC chief whip Jack Warner that Mark would not be returned to the Senate. Warner was not available for comment last night on the appointment. Persad-Bissessar announced the new appointments during last night's UNC Diego Martin meeting. Rambachan, Oudit, Assam and Greaves replaced Adesh Nanan, MF Rahman, Jennifer Kernahan and Sharon Gopaul-McNichols. The outgoing team was appointed by former Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday. Apart from Mark and Joefield, the new Senators will receive their instruments of appointment at President's House, and will be sworn in during today's sitting, starting at 1.30 pm. They take up duties immediately.
Persad-Bissessar informed outgoing Senators of the development and thanked them for their services during a 6 pm meeting yesterday at the Opposition's Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, office. Persad-Bissessar also welcomed incoming Senators at the same meeting. Rambachan, 60, whose political career has spanned the ONR/NAR and UNC, was ousted as Chaguanas Mayor last July. He was elected UNC deputy leader in recent elections. He co-hosts the Morning Panchayat programme on Sangeet 106.1FM radio. Persad-Bissessar's appointment made good on a promise–to put Rambachan in the Senate–by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday, after Rambachan was ousted in Chaguanas. Oudit, 44, a school teacher, was appointed to the Senate in 2009, replacing former Senator Cindy Sharma. During the UNC elections, Oudit initially supported former Opposition Leader Panday, then switched to Persad-Bissessar. However, Oudit was removed by Panday three weeks ago to make way for PSA vice- president Joefield to speak on the T&T Revenue Authority Bill.
St Rose-Greaves, of Diego Martin, is well- known as a women's activist since 1995. She turns 60 on Saturday; has been very vocal–sometimes staging one-person protests–in support of women's and children's rights, and has headed the working women's organisation, Women for Social Progress Group. She is a local Amnesty International volunteer and also a feminist and development consultant. Assam, 71, has been in politics for more than 30 years, having started with the ONR and worked with the NAR and UNC administrations. A former St Joseph and Tunapuna MP, Assam is currently with Congress of the People, but not on the executive. Assam was chief executive of Clico Investment Bank when the CL Financial Group sought a bailout from Government. Currently a consultant, Assam's appointment is being viewed in some political quarters as the start of the unity bridge towards the COP.
?wade happy
?UNC Senator Wade Mark is overflowing with thankfulness for being re-appointed to the Senate. Several of his outgoing colleagues will continue working on various projects with the new UNC administration. In a statement, thanking and praising Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar, Mark noted it was the Opposition Leader's prerogative to remove, revoke or appoint Senators. Sharon Gopaul McNichols–a former COP deputy leader–told the Guardian that she had been asked by Persad-Bissessar to work with UNC MP Roodal Moonilal on UNC's unity team with the COP. Jennifer Kernanhan also said she would continue on other political projects. Rahman did not stay for the group photograph of incoming and outgoing Senators taken yesterday.