Following my earnest offer to the General Secretary to fund the rent of the Rienzi Complex in attempt to provide the UNC with more time to formalise its move to the new headquarters, it was surprising to discover their response to my letter via the media, printed in today's newspaper.
While I did publicly announce my intentions for fund this endeavour, my reason for do so was to inspire hope and relief among members of the party who may have been concerned about our eviction from Rienzi Complex.
While many of our supporters and key figures within the party today may not have been present at its inception, there are still those for whom the Complex holds significant meaning with respects to the creation of the UNC, and especially the contribution of our founding leader, Mr Basdeo Panday.
Mr Panday's sacrifice and dedication to the party and its supporters should never be forgotten, and Rienzi Complex will remain part of that legacy even if some have lost sight of that.
As such, I found that it would have been a fitting tribute to Mr Panday, the ATGWTU and the UNC if this separation occurred in a more in a more endearing manner, and my initial proposal would have accomplished this.
That being said, it is also noteworthy that while Mr Lee has stated not only that he will accept my offer through a different arrangement, he has yet to communicate this with me personally, and also neglected to detail any of the particulars for the new rental arrangement that the UNC has entered into.
As of the time that I am penning this response, I have not been made aware of either the location of the new headquarters nor the amount that the UNC has agreed to pay for renting the space.
While I understand that the Executive is impeded by the time limitation that they can remain at the Rienzi Complex, I would have expected that I would have at least been consulted on this new proposition prior to the Chairman accepting my offer.
In light of this however, I will like to pay final thanks and respects to the All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union and its current president, Mr Nirvan Maharaj, for their support to the party since its inauguration.
For those of us who were there at the beginning, after several members were unceremoniously ousted from the then NAR government, Rienzi Complex became the establishment that would house Club 88 and eventually produce a full fledged party that would go on to win a General Election only seven years after its launch.
This party would also become the only one that would defeat the PNM in three General Elections in the twenty-seven years it has been in existence, all while headquartered at the Rienzi Complex for the duration.
This move however, marks the end of an era and should not be taken lightly for the cultural and historical significance of the location, because if we were to being discounting our history, we may in fact lose sight of where we find ourselves today and where we are heading as a party.
Dr Fuad Khan
Member of Parliament for the Barataria/San Juan Constituency