Senior Reporter
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
Now that campaigning for the UNC internal elections has come to an end, deputy leader hopeful David Lee is expressing relief after accusing the process of being ‘nasty’ and ‘bruising’.
But the leader of the United Patriots slate wants Lee to provide evidence to back that assertion.
Speaking before entering the Red House yesterday for a sitting of the Lower House, Lee was asked if there would be unity in the UNC following today’s elections, particularly as the party has a history of vitriolic campaigns.
“It is up to them, the ball is in their court” Lee responded referencing members of the Patriots slate, he added, “Sometimes it (campaigning) can get very nasty which we have been seeing in this election. It has been a bruising contest, and I am personally happy it will be over tomorrow.”
But Rushton Paray, who is also contesting one of the three deputy leader positions against Lee and others on the Star Team’s slate, is challenging Lee to “identify one item of bruising.”
“I can tell you that the team that was assembled, sat on a philosophy that we are going to be very inspirational to the electorate. I haven’t heard anything from my team, if anything came from my team, I would have pulled them up on that,” Paray posited.
On the night he launched his slate at Signature Hall in Chaguanas, Paray said he would not be baited into “mudslinging” and “harsh words.”
Also responding to claims that the campaign has been disrespectful, particularly towards political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Anita Haynes-Alleyne who is deputy leader candidate on Paray’s slate said, “I think certainly on my end I have maintained a commitment to work with everybody, from the beginning I have noted that Mrs Persad-Bissessar is they duly elected leader of the United National Congress, I have not swayed from that.”
Commenting on social media criticism of her referring to Persad-Bissessar as “Kamla” on the campaign trail, Haynes-Alleyne explained, “My reference was to her slate because she said support Kamla’s slate so I said there can be no Kamla’s slate, so it was just a response to an insinuation that was made.”
With respect to each slate’s chances of victory, David Lee said he was sure that the “stars will shine.”
“We have done the groundwork, we had close to over 90 cottage meetings throughout Trinidad as far as Diego Martin to Moruga, so we have done the work,” Lee said.
His parliamentary colleague and Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe also agreed that the Star Team “has a very good chance” of victory.
But Paray maintained that his slate had kept an excellent ‘line and length’ and he had no regrets for challenging the party and public criticising its current leadership and executive.
“I am absolutely excited. We have done the work, we have maintained a very professional campaign, we have tried something different. I think the country has resonated well. Our young electorate has been super happy with what we’ve done in terms of our length and line and we’re ready for the election day. All our systems are in place, and we are excited to go,” he said outside Parliament yesterday.
Anita Haynes-Alleyne, who is also contesting the post of deputy political leader under the United Patriots banner, said she was cautiously optimistic that people would accept their offer of change, but she said their victory was contingent on good voter turnout.
When asked if she was concerned that most of the electorate would come from the Siparia and Oropouche constituencies which have historically shown a loyalty to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Haynes-Alleyne countered, “But we have constituencies like Tabaquite and Naparima and last night I was in Siparia and we had a very good turnout for our meeting. So yeah, I believe it would be a good turnout across the constituencies.”
The Tabaquite MP said the party could move forward together if there was a commitment to political maturity from members of both slates.
Naparima MP, Rodney Charles, who is also supporting Paray’s slate said it would be an uphill battle for the Patriots to remove the seasoned politicians on the Star Team.
“Difficult, it will be difficult. Because you’re fighting incumbency, but we have a chance,” he told Guardian Media.
But PNM members of parliament want no change to the current UNC national executive line-up.
Perhaps facetiously, Lopinot/Bon Air West MP, Marvin Gonzales proudly backed the Kamla Persad-Bissessar endorsed Star Team.
“I am supporting Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar to win that election because I am certain it would cement the PNM in power for the next 15 years. She’s been a fantastic leader of the Opposition, she’s been leading a fantastic team on the opposition side. They are a bunch of incompetents and as long as they are there, we will provide good governance to the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Gonzales said while laughing.
Laventille East/Morvant MP Adrian Leonce held similar sentiments.
“As a PNM it really does not matter but you heard my boss, the Prime Minister saying he would support the Opposition Leader,” Leonce said.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s position as the political leader is not being contested, but the PNM MP’s answers seemingly gave credit to the United Patriots’ claim that her involvement in Team Star’s campaign could give the erroneous perception that she was being challenged as leader.
Meanwhile, Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards did not have a preferred winner, but he did, however, make a prediction.
“I think Kamla is going to win, yea I think she’s going to win. But good luck to the UNC and their internals,” Richards said as he walked into the Parliament compound.
Other PNM MPs told Guardian Media they were not getting involved in UNC business or “bacchanal.”
Regarding the unity of the party after the internal election results, both Paray and Lee expected that differences would be put aside as they prepared for next year’s general elections.
Lee said, “The good thing about the UNC is we are like a rubber band. We are very resilient, and we always bounce back. We are one party that will always come together to take the party forward.”
Meanwhile, Paray sought to rubbish claims that he and the other disgruntled MPs would break rank with the UNC and join other political parties.
“This has nothing to do with what anybody wants outside of the UNC, our basic tagline was a stronger UNC for a stronger Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
Registered voters will have between 8 am and 6 pm today to cast their ballots.