Moonilal announces election slate

Deputy political leader of the United National Congress, Dr Roodal Moonilal, has announced a list of candidates to compete against the UNC Generation Next and the UNC Soldiers in the UNC’s March 24, internal elections. The team is yet to come up with a symbol and name but will host a mass meeting on Wednesday at Debe Junction, outside Moonilal’s Oropouche East constituency office. Moonilal announced that the headquarters for his team would be located in a room below his office and would remain separate from the work of his constituency.

The candidates were presented at a planning meeting hosted by Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma at the Aquarium Restaurant and Bar in Cocoyea Village, San Fernando. At the meeting, government ministers, mayors, chairmen and councillors of regional corporations pledged their support for Moonilal’s team of candidates.

Those vying for positions in the party’s executive include Moonilal, who will defend his position as the party’s deputy political leader, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan. Cumuto Manzanilla MP Collin Partap will defend his post as policy and strategy officer, while Chandresh Sharma will compete for the position of party organiser, a position currently occupied by Vishnu Maharaj.

However Moonilal announced that there would be no candidate for the position of chairman in his slate. He gave no explanation for not presenting a candidate for the position, which is expected to be defended by incumbent holder Jack Warner. Instead, he told supporters they were free to vote for a chairman of their choice.

Despite being confident of a landslide victory, he urged supporters not to become complacent and allow the General Next slate to get any votes. He congratulated the 70 candidates who he said had committed to serve the party but urged members not to let the competitiveness cause separation.

Line-up

1st Deputy Political Leader
—Dr Roodal Moonilal
2nd Deputy Political Leader
—Dr Surujrattan Rambachan
Vice Chairman—Khadijah Ameen
Policy and Strategy Officer
—Collin Partap
International Relations Officer
—Shane Mohammed
Election Officer—Ramona Ramdial
North Regional Co-ordinator
—Don Sylvester
Party Organiser
—Chandresh Sharma
Research Officer—Arnold Ram                       
Central Co-ordinator
—Glenn Ramadharsingh
East Co-ordinator
—Yvette Richards
South Regional Co-ordinator
—Shanty Boodram
Tobago Regional Co-ordinator
—Barrington “Skippy” Thomas
Education Officer—Daphne Phillip

Meetings
Monday—Couva North Office
Tuesday—Paul Street, Sangre Grande
Wednesday—Debe Junction
Thursday—Himalaya Club, San Juan