Kamla Persad-Bissessar will face Vasant Bharath in the battle for leadership of the United National Congress on November 26.
This after the party’s national congress yesterday voted unanimously in favour of a decision by the national executive to hold the election a year before it is due.
It was a full house at the Shiva Boys College in Penal yesterday and although Ganga Singh, who challenged the NAtex decision as a breach of article 18 of the party’s constitution, was present, he lodged no objection when the floor was opened for comments before the vote was taken. Singh instead said he was “pleased” and wanted to ensure the decision for the early election was “endorsed by the rank and file.”
One man was heard asking from the floor “where is Vasant?” in reference to Bharath, who is challenging Persad-Bissessar. However, Bharath is not is member of the party’s national congress and was not there. The national congress comprises members of the national executive, two delegates from each constituency and one additional delegate for every other 50 financial members. The turnout yesterday was good and party officials said it reflected the deep interest which supporters have.
Addressing supporters after the vote, Persad-Bissessar asked members, “Will you fight with me?”
The battle, she said, was with the ruling People’s National Movement.
“There is a great battle ahead to fight the wicked, corrupt and incompetent PNM,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She recalled her ‘no woman no cry speech in 2007 when there was “blatant betrayal” by senior party members “in whom I trusted.” She said she had never betrayed or left the UNC.
A decade later she said, “I stand before you with a track record that is unparalleled.”
To detractors who talk about how many elections were lost ,she said, “Let me remind them when we divide we lose. When we unite we win, as we did in 2010. Let us unite again and we will win.”
As she wooed support for the early election, she said it was about rescuing the country “from the evil, despicable, corrupt, destructive Rowley PNM.”
She accused the Rowley administration of selling Trinidad Generation Unit (TGU) to German firm Ferrostaal, promising to fight the battle in court if she had to. She also accused the Government of giving prime lands and tax breaks to the owners of the Sandals chain and agreeing to pay the “bestie of the Prime Minister for fake oil.”
She asked, “Is it true that the Prime Minister and the Energy Minister made phone calls to A&V Drilling in the last two weeks? The talk is they going to pay him.”
Persad-Bissessar also accused the Government of bringing “trumped up false charges against their political opponents.”
Declaring that the Government had failed to assist victims of recent floods and was failing in the fight against crime, she told supporters the early leadership election was critical.
“We will then have a comprehensive mandate from the party to carry on with the business of running the UNC and the Opposition,” she said.
She assured the UNC has been keeping to the goals and ideals of the constitution and will continue to do so.
She told supporters, “I love you more dearly than words can express. Everything I do, I do for you.”