A political analyst has rated former minister Vasant Bharath’s chances of contesting and winning the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) as not very good.
“I think his chances of winning are not very good though I commend his determination to offer the electorate an alternative. It’s what democracy is about. So two steps forward in that regard,” said political analyst Indera Sagewan-Alli.
She said not much has changed in the dynamic of who makes up the core voters since the last internal elections to give him a fighting chance this time.
“Mr Bharath has corridor appeal but not sufficient belt appeal and unfortunately for him, it is the belt that casts the vote around,” she said.
She also views the decision by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to call an early election as a strategic one.
“It ensures that she is the leader going into the next general election and saves her sweat over untoward issues between now and the constitutionally due election. Let’s say for example there is another by-election between now and then and her party loses, she would come in for harsh criticism. This way she has secured her position until after the election.”
Sagewan-Alli believes Persad-Bissessar also senses dissension amongst not-so-long-ago loyalists and she is protecting her throne against possible uprising.
She said: “Already we have heard voices against the early election from those perceived to be her faithfuls.” However, whether this is in the best interest of party politics is another issue for discussion.
Persad-Bissessar is trying to validate her position
Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath believes Persad-Bissessar is trying to validate her position by calling early election.
“She is ensuring that should she win this election this would silence all her opposition within the party since she would have claimed her mandate comes not from a few members of the executive rather it would have come from the mass membership of the party. She wants to validate herself and stave off any challenges to her leadership,” Ragoonath said.