Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
Political analysts are offering varying views on the rift within the United National Congress (UNC), with one recommending that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar ignore her critics while another says it is an opportunity for her to purge the party of dissidents before the general elections.
Dr Indira Rampersad and Dr Bishnu Ragoonath commented on the situation within the party, following recent public criticisms of Persad-Bissessar by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally.
At a media conference on Friday, Rambally said the UNC will lose the 2025 general election under Persad-Bissessar’s leadership. A few weeks ago, Mayaro MP Rushton Paray also held a media conference calling for the party’s internal election to be held when constitutionally due in June. Both MPs still recently filed their nomination papers to contest the general elections for their respective seats.
Rampersad said Rambally’s comments wouldn’t negatively affect the party at next year’s elections.
“I don’t think that is going to play a factor in any upcoming general election because dissenters come, dissenters go. That is the way of politics,” she said.
Rampersad added that while party members have a right to express their views, she did not agree with their approach.
“I would just ignore them if I were the leader. I would just ignore them. If there are real concerns, I think they should have approached the leadership. They should have written to them, gone through the internal mechanisms and asked for some redress; there is also the use of the courts if they are doing anything illegal, rather than come to the media, so clearly, this was a media campaign against the leader,” she said.
She said Persad-Bissessar should focus on the internal and general elections and “let the chips fall where it may after that”.
Ragoonath meanwhile said the UNC leadership could now purge the party of dissident elements. He recalled that two years ago, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called a snap election, purged her government of several sitting MPs and won the election in a month. He believes the UNC has enough time to embark on a similar action.
“Because we are about a year away from an election, what I expect to happen is that the party would purge itself of the so-called dissident elements and have enough time ... to consolidate itself and to approach the election whenever it is called in a unified form.
“They would have already expelled or eliminated or marginalised the dissident faction. If my analysis is correct, the impact would be minimised once the party treats with the dissident element early,” he said.
Ragoonath added, “A real political party would take critical action based on what we have seen and some of the voices that we have heard, some of the complaints we have heard and, more importantly, if the party decides to call the bluff of these people, I am almost certain that they will be confined to what we call the political cemetery.”
Also weighing in was political scientist Prof Hamid Ghany, who said, comparatively speaking, Rambally’s filing of nomination papers to be a candidate for a party whose leader he does not support resembles the decision of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in 2010 to file nomination papers for the PNM, at a time when he was at loggerheads with Patrick Manning.
Chaguanas West
executive defends Kamla
The Chaguanas West Constituency Executive says Rambally does not have its support.
Chairman Faaiq Mohammed described the MP’s comments as a “madman’s rant” and accused him of attacking the Opposition Leader using PNM lies and allegations.
“For a minute, I thought he was going to announce his submission of a nomination for the PNM,” Mohammed said in a statement over the weekend.
He said there seems to be something more sinister at play.
“In conclusion, I can agree change is needed. It’s needed in Chaguanas West,” he added.
UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo and Opposition Chief Whip David Lee also defended Persad-Bissessar and the party against Rambally’s allegations.
“One cannot purport to be fighting for democracy by attacking the demonstrated democratic rights of members of the United National Congress,” Tancoo said in a statement.
“The UNC political leader and the national executive have been elected by the majority in a democratic election to serve for a particular time frame, and in full compliance with the party’s constitution.”
He said party officials, including Persad-Bissessar, have repeatedly said the party will continue to abide by the constitution.
“To demand that the party stop its preparations for the impending general elections, while at the same time state that the party is unprepared is again, illogical and works to the benefit of the PNM,” Tancoo added, noting that under Persad-Bissessar, UNC had made massive strides for national growth and development.
“The UNC membership and the national community are crying out for a united and a common platform against the Government’s oppression,” he said.
Lee said Persad-Bissessar has redefined leadership by being a leader who leads from the ground.
“As Chief Whip, I can confirm that Kamla Persad-Bissessar has led the Opposition bench by always ensuring consensus, by always being inclusive and more so, always ensuring that our Members of Parliament are fully prepared to fight the PNM’s attack on our citizens,” he said.
“Democracy allows all a voice. If some opt to use theirs to weaken the UNC’s fight against the PNM, we will not be deterred as the UNC and parliamentary bench are behind an inclusive strong leader with a potent vision to save T&T.”