Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne is a member of the United National Congress (UNC.)Persad-Bissessar made the statement last afternoon as she defended the UNC's decision to select Alleyne as the party's candidate for the November 4 by-election.Alleyne's was only named as the UNC candidate on Monday, hours before the Election and Boundaries Commission deadline for candidates to submit their nomination papers.
He contested the Chaguanas seat for the PNM in the 2002 general election garnering 4,152 votes to the successful UNC candidate Manohar Ramsaran's 16,028 votes and Citizens' Alliance Imtiaz Ali with 210 votes.She said there was no question relating to Alleyne's UNC membership since he joined the party prior to the 2010 general election.
Persad-Bissessar, speaking with reporters at a Land Settlement Agency (LSA) certificate of comfort distribution ceremony at her Siparia constituency office, SS Erin Road, Penal, last afternoon, Alleyne has been on the party's membership list for some time.Persad-Bissessar said although Alleyne was a UNC member he still had to fill out another membership form for renewal."He (Alleyne) has been with the party previously and he has again renewed his application which has been accepted," she said.
She said the executive also decided to waive the party's one-year stipulation for nomination as a candidate to allow for Alleyne's candidacy. Persad-Bissessar said that was also done for former St Joseph MP Herbert Volney.The Prime Minister also denied allegations that the UNC "bought" the Crime Watch host so he would contest the St Joseph by-election for the party.
She was responding to jeers of "sell-out" that were hurled at Alleyne on Monday by members of the public as he filed his nominations papers to contest the November 4, St Joseph by-election on a UNC ticket.The Prime Minister said: "For my part and my party there was no buying out of anyone to contest this election, whether at the local level or at the by-election level. Not from our party, not from our executive, no buyout took place whatsoever."