“There will be no Rudy 2020!”
This was the assurance given to United National Congress (UNC) supporters at the Rienzi Complex, Couva, on Thursday night as Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal announced his slate for the party’s internal election.
Moonilal introduced his picks for all but one on his Loyalist slate, saying the third deputy political leader would be introduced in the coming days.
The party will hold internal elections on December 5 to select a new leader and executive.
Throwing jabs at the party’s incumbent, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is seeking re-election, Moonilal said if elected he would present a team and not an individual to contest general elections.
“In 2020, there will be no ‘Rudy2020,’ there will be UNC 2020,” Moonilal said.
“We will not be scrambling for candidates, putting them in the morning and remove them by night.”
He was referring to the UNC’s selection and removal of Roger Morales as Mayaro MP for the September 7 general election.
Morales was replaced by Rushton Paray after a video of Morales criticising the UNC was leaked on social media.
Although he paid tribute to Persad-Bissessar for her leadership, Moonilal urged supporters not to vote on the basis of sentiment in the upcoming election.
“I salute her for her leadership, but this is not the time for sympathy.
“I can bring a slate weeks before nomination day, we must not take long and make the wrong decisions.”
Sending out a message to the third contender for the position, Vasant Bharath, Moonilal urged him to rethink.
“I see we have one contender for leadership, my brother Vasant Bharath, who is not an elected Member of the Parliament. This is a recipe for chaos. We cannot have a political leader who is not the leader of the Opposition.”
Referring to the dual leadership of the UNC in 2007, where Winston Dookeran was political leader and Basdeo Panday opposition leader, Moonilal said: “We will then have two leaders in the UNC, a situation that could split the party asunder as happened before, causing us to lose the elections in 2007.”
He questioned how Bharath would act as leader, saying: “Is he going to sit in Rienzi, draft a party agenda and give it to someone else to take to Parliament?”
He then invited Bharath to join the Loyalist slate.
“I am asking Vasant, for the sake of the party, to think carefully.
“There are other very senior positions in the party for which he is eminently qualified. Join us and we can discuss this.”
Moonilal also announced plans to hold 70 cottage meetings across T&T before the December 5 elections.
He said if selected, he would begin screening candidates for the 2016 Local Government elections as early as January 2016 and have a local government manifesto ready by May 2016.
“We will start screening candidates in January, to get the best possible team so the UNC can claim victory in local government elections.”
Moonilal’s loyalist slate
Regional Representatives
Tobago Barrington ‘Skippy’ Thomas
South Joanne Leacock
Central Devika Thomas
North/West Cassandra Samuel
North East Sharla Alexander
International Relations Officer Ken Emrit
Party Organiser Jairam Seemungal
Treasurer Neil Gosine
Elections Officer Nela Khan
Education Officer Usha Rampersad
Policy and Strategy Officer Colin Partap
Research Officer Yvette Richards
Deputy Chairman Jehan Mohammed
Chairman Dr Tim Gopeesingh
Deputy Political Leader James Lambert
Deputy Political Leader Larry Lalla