UNC MP Rushton Paray says he did not challenge the legitimacy of party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s stewardship when he spoke last Friday - and he intends to press on with his outreach on the National Executive election issue until the internal election is called.
But he also says if general elections are called now, that would be the focus and UNC would unite and “together we’ll go after the PNM to remove them from office”.
Paray issued a statement yesterday following wide negative feedback from UNC quarters—including the majority of MPs and all Senators—to his “power play” media conference last Friday, where he called on the leadership to hold National Executive elections.
The UNC’s Mayaro constituency and UNC-controlled regional corporation have also distanced themselves from his actions.
Paray said, “I acknowledge the right of fellow MPs and others to quietly grumble over the National Executive election issue and then capitulate in the public glare. But I urge all to focus on the central issue.
“I consider it a responsibility to respond to the widespread comments to my public call for UNC’s Natex election to be held as constitutionally due. In particular, even if only for posterity, I must react to those who saw my measured statement as a vociferous attack on the leadership and tenure of the UNC’s Political Leader, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
“I restate my public declaration—adequately reported in the media—that the party’s internal election ‘must be called when they are due in June 2024.’ I said that ‘serious issues of institutional integrity have arisen.’ I alluded to the fact that the UNC’s membership hasn’t been advised of the scheduled holding of the election for the party’s leadership.”
Paray added, “As a result, members ‘have a grave concern that there is an attempt by the executive to devalue the UNC’s internal election by suggesting it is not necessary or even needed.’
“My conclusion was prompted by the fact that while there’s been no notice of the internal poll, a deadline has been placed for candidate nominations for the general election, which is constitutionally due in 17 months.”
Saying the concerns were shared to him by hundreds of members in recent weeks, Paray added, “I did not challenge the legitimacy of Ms Persad-Bissessar’s stewardship, whose electoral term as Political Leader expires in 2025. Of the mass of responses, I was most surprised by the almost identical statements of enduring loyalty to Mrs Persad-Bissessar by some of my colleague Members of Parliament, councillors and other UNC officials, and the affirmation of ‘one party, one leader’.
“I referred to my notes and a recording of my media conference to reconfirm that I did not suggest more than one party and a plurality of leaders. Instead, I stressed UNC must be the best version of itself to challenge the bogus PNM Government, which has brought immense hardship to T&T.”
Paray added, “In nine years, the aimless PNM has devastated our country, with a crime crisis, extensive poverty, breakdown of the health, education and other sectors, destruction of the infrastructure, diminishing of the middle class, and other urgent issues. If the PNM retains national office at the next general election, it would be the first time in more than 40 years that it has won three successive national polls The wreckage to our country is too much to contemplate.”
He said the UNC must re-energise itself among its membership in order to become a mobilised and inspired force against the PNM, noting it has the benefit of incumbency and hundreds of millions of dollars to toss around.
Contacted by Guardian Media on his plans going forward, Paray said he will I’ll press on with his mission until a Natex election is called.
On his position if a general election is called amid his lobby for Natex internals, Paray added, “The focus will then be on general elections and if it’s called, at that point in time, I’m sure the party will come together, consolidate and unite and we’ll together go after the PNM to remove them from office.”
He stressed, “The next general election is significant to T&T’s future. Our nation deserves much better than the catastrophic PNM. An important step in achieving that purpose is the timely staging of UNC’s Natex internal election.”
Paray is expected to file his nomination for Mayaro this week. But UNC Mayaro sources claimed some party units are being “pressured” to toe the party line on the matter. UNC party officials, however, said no one is “pressuring anyone” to issue any statements and accused others of waging a “misinformation war”.