Senior Political Reporter
Disheartening, divisive, dismissive and disrespectful to third parties.
That’s how National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Gary Griffith described Monday’s statements by United National Congress (UNC) leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar about smaller parties, as the unity between the two seemed to drift apart yesterday.
However, Griffith said the problem was not really Persad-Bissessar, but UNC deputy leader Jearlean John.
“I have no problem with Kamla,” Griffith added yesterday, “But Jearlean has been the issue. The problem is Kamla being influenced by Jearlean and falling victim to Jearlean’s fantasy that the UNC can win general elections alone. It seems Jearlean has now won over Kamla to thinking that.”
But Griffith said the NTA will continue to soldier on, extending a hand of co-operation and dialogue to all political entities, including the UNC.
“But NTA won’t be party to ‘political domestic violence’ being abused and bullied behind closed doors and when we come out in public you want us to ‘put on make-up,’ pretend all’s well and smile,” Griffith said.
Griffith spoke after Persad-Bissessar warned smaller parties that while the UNC is open to working with others of similar vision, she won’t allow her members to be disrespected. Speaking at the party’s Monday Night Report in Couva, she said smaller parties must carry their weight and not “play the fool” with the 300,000-strong UNC.
This, after a recent anonymous social media post hinting at issues between the UNC and NTA.
Both parties entered an electoral arrangement for the August 2023 Local Government Elections, where UNC contested 110 districts and NTA 31. The partnership appeared to continue subsequently, with both sides indicating they would facilitate another accommodation for the upcoming general election (GE).
Griffith “starred” at the UNC’s January anti-crime town hall consultation, but there was divergence of views on the idea of a state of emergency, which Persad-Bissessar supported and Griffith didn’t. NTA subsequently announced it would hold its own consultations and opened nominations for all constituencies.
The social media post had named John as advising Persad-Bissessar that UNC needs no other party and can win alone. Griffith subsequently said what was required to ensure a change of government is for all political leaders “to be mature and appreciate that all hands are needed on deck.”
After Persad-Bissessar’s retorts on Monday, Griffith yesterday said, “It was disheartening to witness the recent rhetoric from Opposition Leader, Persad-Bissessar, who appears to have forgotten the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in our political landscape. Her divisive remarks and dismissive attitude towards third parties are not only regressive but also reminiscent of past failures.
“The recent attempts by certain individuals within the UNC to undermine the role of third parties are shortsighted and counterproductive, and I’m convinced isn’t shared by the majority of the executive or their membership, who understand that unity, not division, is the winning strategy.”
Griffith said what was clear on Monday, “... is that lessons have not been learnt from past mistakes, and the same patterns of arrogance and exclusion are resurfacing, which can be best described as ‘Crab in a Barrel Syndrome’. (But) UNC has never achieved success in a general election under its current leadership, without political partners.
“No amount of wishing, hoping and beating of chests can change this fact, which is why fair warning to those who seem intent on maintaining this path: expect the same outcomes.”
Griffith said the “maths ain’t mathsing”, and even if the UNC were to secure 20 seats, it still leaves them and their huge base of supporters in opposition for another five years.
Griffith added, “Third constituency voters, be it known by different previous names—ONR to NAR to COP to NTA—are a very sensitive and important lot, and the comments by Mrs Persad-Bissessar (Monday), which showed blatant disrespect and disregard for the relevance of those voters, who last numbered 147,000 back in 2007, would yet again ensure that they remind her of how important that third constituency indeed is.”
He cited historical electoral evidence that whichever way the voters in the third constituency sway, that usually determines who will be T&T’s leaders.
‘Jearlean is the problem’
Before this week’s situation erupted, Griffith said since Persad-Bissessar had said the same system the UNC and NTA used for the successful LG election would be used for the GE, the NTA sent correspondence to the UNC to move to the next step.
“We’d have gone with a team with people from both parties to establish proper structure seat allocation, et cetera,” he said.
“But this was prior to us knowing Kamla has now been manipulated into believing—thanks to Jearlean John—that the UNC has a snowball’s chance in hell to win alone.”
Griffith said he met Persad-Bissessar and John before the last election and claimed John said, “’We don’t need you, we can win on our own’.”
Griffith said, “I started to walk away but Kamla called me back and we began talks. So Jearlean has always been the problem but it seems Kamla now believes her opinion and is being influenced by her.”
“UNC supporters must question whether their leader is willing to prioritise pride and ego over practical considerations, especially as NTA has been and remains open to dialogue.”
He said the UNC could never win in a three-party race and could lose San Juan, Chaguanas West and Moruga.
Griffith said the NTA would target marginals.