Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne says she is prepared to deal with any fallout from the United National Congress after making calls for the party to hold internal elections.
Haynes-Alleyne, who spoke during an interview on CNC3’s The Morning Brew yesterday, said her only concern was for the UNC’s growth and development.
“There are consequences for your actions, yes, but there are also consequences for inaction. You can’t escape consequences sitting silently by and watching an organisation that you love not adequately prepare itself to be the best version of itself ahead of a big test in 2025. The inaction there will also bear consequences. I am less prepared to deal with the consequences of silence, and I am very prepared to deal with the consequences of speaking out because I think it’s the right thing to do.”
This comes after UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar criticised Haynes-Alleyne and four other party members for being absent from last Friday’s parliamentary sitting, where there was a debate on the impasse between the Auditor General and the Minister of Finance.
However, the Tabaquite MP said a significant amount of effort was being put into making a simple matter complicated.
“This issue of taking this and making an issue of attendance records is really trying to diminish and distract from what the main issues are, and the main issues remain whether or not we are putting our organisation in place to win a general election in 2025,” she said.
“And those things are questions that can be simply answered; the issue can be properly ventilated once the election date is called, and all that can be done in a manner that is respectful and a manner that focuses on policy, on the direction of the party, and moves away from this level of petty propaganda.”
She believes the challenge the UNC is facing is finding ways to strengthen the internal structure of the party in preparation for a general election. She reiterated calls for internal elections, saying this will provide an avenue for members to voice concerns.
She said they must move away from surviving to thriving and creating an expansive, forceful movement.