The death of the UNC started with the move to get rid of Basdeo Panday and replace him with Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The party went into decline after that, even though it won the election. The situation became irretrievable when the backriders and opportunists smelt blood and moved in for the kill.
Those people who were only in it for personal gain capitalised on the image projected by Panday's successor, that of a person relatively untainted by the perception of corruption surrounding the party at the time.
Although some people still are blinded by personal loyalty or, more likely, personal interest, the party is on the road to its demise, so long as the current party leader remains in charge. There is little likelihood of recovery unless the party can reinvent itself, as the forerunners of previous opposition parties were forced to do in the past.
The party as it is currently configured is doomed even if its leaders refuse to recognise this. Not one of the present crop has anything like the kind of stature or charisma to replicate what Panday was able to do.
It is not for anyone to introduce a potential leader as that gives rise to the perception that the people behind the new leader are in control and are pulling his strings. When the time is right the leader will be recognised, as Panday was, and the people will support him.
Karan Mahabirsingh,
Carapichaima