Senior Reporter
kay-marie.fletcher
@guardian.co.tt
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is now being challenged by Mayaro MP Rushton Paray to call the United National Congress’ (UNC) constitutionally due executive election.
Yesterday, Paray, in an apparent power play, publicly demanded that Persad-Bissessar call the Natex election when it’s due in June.
During a media conference at the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce Conference Hall, Paray said, “I want to make a clarion call to all of my colleagues in our beloved party to take a stand for what is right … We are all united in a common cause … We are demanding that the leadership of our party respect the voice of our members.”
Paray said there are several problems the party needs to address in order to move forward and if an internal election is not called, it will not be able to defeat the People’s National Movement (PNM) and suffer a third consecutive loss in the general elections.
Paray believes it is time for the party to refresh itself, even if that means taking Persad-Bissessar off the throne.
Asked if his end goal is to be the new UNC leader, Paray said, “I am very well capable and competent to occupy any post that is offered to me based on my ability and talent. If the membership feels that my ability and talent could put me in any talent, then I will accept.”
On whether he was confident Persad-Bissessar can steer the party to victory when the general election is called and return as T&T prime minister, he said, “That is not for me to decide. The membership, which gives direction, will decide if anybody remains or goes, becomes the best or not. They will make that decision. That is not my decision.”
The election for UNC leader is due in 2025.
The current UNC executive features Senator Jearlean John, Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal and Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee as deputy political leaders.
Oropouche West MP Dave Tancoo is chairman and St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen is vice chair.
Thus far, only Naparima MP Rodney Charles and Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Rai Ragbir have supported Paray’s call.
However, Paray believes it is only a matter of time until others join in.
When Guardian Media asked who else was supporting him, Paray said, “They are all supporting me. Every one of them. I’m not sure who wants to say it now, but I’m sure over time they will say it.”
But whether he has support or not, Paray believes he has to do the noble thing for the party, even if it means committing political suicide.
He said, “I got a call from one of my colleagues. He said to me, ‘You have a long and bright future in politics. You’re a good man. You’re a decent man, but what you are doing is committing political suicide’.” So my response to him was that, that may very well be the case. And perhaps after today, I may very well be an outcast as well. But here was the option presented to me, I must stay silent.”
He added, “I also told him if my one voice is me committing political suicide, then the silence of every one of you is committing political genocide because we are putting at risk the future of hundreds of thousands of supporters who have found a home at the United National Congress, and we will not allow that.”
There were about 100 supporters present at yesterday’s media conference.
Fighting a lost cause
However, not everyone within the party is on the same page as Paray, at least not publicly, with some saying a call for a national executive election is premature.
Speaking to Guardian Media outside Parliament yesterday, Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein said, “Currently, we have one leader and that leader is Kamla Persad-Bissessar.”
Similarly, Tancoo said, “As chairman of the party, I can honestly say without fear of contradiction, the national executive has not even considered this matter yet and the party’s internal election is not due for several months. As a result of that, this entire question and issue that is being raised is not even relevant at this point.”
And former Opposition MP Fuad Khan, who has been a member of the party for many years, believes Paray’s is committing political suicide.
“Rushton Paray is saying the correct things to build the party, similar to what I was saying when I went up against Mrs Persad-Bissessar two years ago. However, when you call an internal election, it is so manipulated and it’s basically designed to keep Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar and that Natex who supports her full-time in office, so Rushton is knocking against a good door, but he is going to get eliminated because Mrs Persad-Bissessar, once she is the political leader, will not call internal elections. And, if she calls the internal elections, it is going to be manipulated. It’s not going to be free and fair, the same thing that happened to Basdeo Panday, and Rushton Paray is going to lose, and she is going to win by padded votes by up to about 8,000 to 10,000.”
Griffith: Not my business
Meanwhile, contacted on the apparent power struggle in the UNC yesterday, National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Gary Griffith said it doesn’t matter to him who leads the party.
“It doesn’t matter to me who is there. That is not my business or preference … What we would like to see is whoever is the political leader, whoever is in that national executive, has the maturity to understand why political parties are formed is to win and to get in government and the only way that can be achieved, even from the UNC’s perspective, is to recognise and respect that bridge constituency of those other parties that have seen the UNC in government before.”
Guardian Media also reached out to Senator Jearlene John and Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) leader Phillip Alexander yesterday but received no responses up to press time.