Moonilal dubs Panday’s slate ‘Generation Vex’

Deputy Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Dr Roodal Moonilal, has re-christened his former political leader Basdeo Panday’s slate for the internal elections, Generation Next to “Generation Vex.” Moonilal, Minister of Housing, explained his descriptive by saying: “Because everyone on the Panday slate has personal grouses with the People’s Partnership.”

Under the theme Generation Next, former prime minister Panday has put forward a full slate to challenge the current office holders in the UNC internal elections. Another slate, dubbed UNC Soldiers, headed by Sunil Ramjitsingh, is also contesting the internal elections. In an interview yesterday, Moonilal, who fought and won his current post on the executive on a Panday slate, dismissed the contenders.

He accused Panday of misleading young people on his slate. “It is regrettable that at his age, he is leading young people to commit political suicide. These people have potential and yet he is taking young people and destroying their political careers,” Moonilal said. “Mr Panday is on a campaign and I wish him well. It is regrettable at his age he will get involved in this thing. There is a psychological condition called cognitive dissonance in which you cannot accept reality. I believe Mr Panday is in this state, but we wish him and his team well.”

Moonilal, Member of Parliament for Oropouche East, also denied criticisms levelled against him by Panday’s daughter, Mickela. Mickela had claimed that Moonilal was not properly representing his constituency. Moonilal said since coming into office he attracted Government’s $1 billion University of the West Indies law campus to the constituency. He noted that numerous roads, landslips, bridges and drains were also built.

Responding to claims by Basdeo Panday that the UNC elections were being rigged, Moonilal challenged Panday to bring evidence of fraud. “He is making an exit strategy. He has to explain why he loses. He is trying to explain what will be a massive defeat. Mr Panday knows that in politics you are never defeated, you are cheated.”

However Moonilal supported Panday’s call to have observer status at the internal elections, but rejected Ramjitsingh’s proposal to postpone the elections. “All candidates should have a right to represent, monitor and inspect boxes,” Moonilal said. He added, “People nominated on Sunday can begin campaigning, nothing stops them from campaigning, because the campaign is on, so I don’t see any benefit in extending the election day beyond the 24th.”