United National Congress (UNC) leadership candidate Dr Roodal Moonilal told supporters that they should be prepared to go back to the polls.
He was speaking hours after the Appeal Court, in a majority ruling, found merit in the election petitions challenging the Election and Boundaries Commission’s decision to extend the voting time for Trinidad by one hour in the September 7 polls.
“We must get our house in order, so if it is you are successful at the court and there are political consequences involving an election, your party must be ready,” Moonilal said while speaking at the Carapichaima Presbyterian School on a UNC Loyalist platform.
He told his audience that while the decision opened the door for the substantive issue of challenging the EBC’s decision, they could not wait on the courthouse to give them victory in the six marginal constituencies being challenged.
“The court in T&T will not give you the government. The people will give you the government. What ever happens at the high court, the court cannot rule that we walk over the aisle in the Parliament and take over the government. They can rule that there is a case to return to the polls, but they cannot pick up the government and give it to the UNC and say look the government is yours, take it. You have to go back to the polls.”
Moonilal said the court ruling had vindicated his decision to challenge the incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar for leadership of the party because none of the other two slates were up to the challenge of going back to the polls.
“If ever you had any doubts of the need and importance to build the UNC, it is in the aftermath of the ruling today (Monday) at the Court of Appeal.”
He said which ever leader emerged victorious in Saturday’s election we will have to prepare the party to return to the polls.
“And if you have to go back to the polls, are you ready to go back to the polls with the current dispensation, ready to fight the People’s National Movement with the current leader who says she is not working with Moonilal, Vasant, Gopeesingh, Fuad Khan and Seemungal?”
He said it was interesting that they had on their slate the former Agriculture minister Jairam Seemungal, who lost the La Horquetta/Talparo seat, one of the constituencies which has been petitioned.
“If perchance the petitioner is successful, are they saying Mr Seemungal can’t go back as the candidate for La Horquetta/Talparo because they are not prepared to work with us. So who is going back? Marcia Braveboy?
“This man has been the lion of La Horquetta/Talparo for five years. Are you now saying you don’t want him back because he is in a slate opposed to you?”
Moonilal also questioned the justification for Vasant Bharath contesting the election and alluded to him being a “spoiler” in the race to ensure that his Loyalist team lost.
He questioned why after Bharath resigned from the Senate to contest the post for leadership, there had been no replacement in the Senate.
He asked whether when he would have fulfilled his role, post December 5, he would be ushered right back into the Senate as a Senator for the UNC.