Minutes after launching the slate for his newly-formed “Team Reconnect” at the Couva South Hall yesterday, Vasant Bharath raised concerns about the United National Congress’ (UNC) internal elections process, saying he does not believe it would be free and fair when voters go to the polls on December 5.
“I do have concerns.... serious concerns. I have alluded to the fact that people have said to me that they received a text message that I sent to them asking whether they would support me.”
But he denied sending text messages to UNC members who are illegible to vote and warned that he would “expose” the irregularities in the elections “in due course.”
“But I suspect from what I am told that those text messages are being used to take supporters of certain contenders off the (electoral) list,” he said.
In the lead up to the September 7 general election voters also received unsolicited telephone calls to private mobile numbers aimed at seeking their support for the UNC. Told that allegation he was making was similar to one of the strategies used in former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s general election campaign, Bharath said he could not say that.
“The point I am signalling to the existing national executive at Rienzi Complex and hierarchy of the party is that we are going to be very vigilant in terms of the areas where we believe there can be manipulation of the votes.”
Bharath said he found out about the calls by accident on Thursday.
“Someone came to me and apologised for not responding to the text messages. I knew nothing about it,” he said.
Bharath said, however, that it was impossible to control the election process to ensure that it was free and fair.
“This is what Mr (Basdeo) Panday has been alluding to.” (See page 17)
Addressing a small group of party supporters at the venue, Bharath said based on previous campaigns he suspects the election will get nasty.
“I don’t hold out much hope that it’s going to be very clean,” he said.
Among those present at the launch were Garvin Nicholas, Stacy Roopnarine and Stephen Cadiz, who are part of his slate, Dhanoo Sookoo, Manohar Ramsaran and Gideon Hanoomansingh.
Asked if he was not successful at the polls what would be his next move, Bharath said he intends to take things one step at a time and lead his team to victory.
“The intention is to reconnect with the UNC population and thereafter with the wider population. We have a lot of work to do.”
Bharath said he was confident he could topple his opponents, Dr Roodal Moonilal and Persad-Bissessar, because he had a strong, experienced, dedicated and young team. Asked what gives him the edge over his contenders, Bharath said he was known regionally and internationally for having what is required to take a local organisation and fix it very quickly.
Team Reconnect’s campaign will being funded by donations from the business community and ordinary folks, he said.
Bharath said “no longer should we be beholden to a very few financiers, who then unfortunately will extract their pound of flesh from the organisation. We need to move away from that.”
Many wrongs in last 5 years
In the last five years, Bharath said the UNC had made many mistakes, but primarily allowed the institutions of authority to almost irretrievably break down.
“We were not listening to the people and their concerns and understanding that ultimately the party can only grow or the government could only survive if the party was strong. It may or may not have been deliberate, but at the end of the day the end result was the party’s institutions were allowed to flounder.”
Saying the party would require a lot of healing, Bharath said should he win the leadership post he intends to visit all 41 constituencies with the national executives. He said he would also examine the party’s constitution.
He insisted that the election was not about him or his slate, but the hope of every member and supporter.
Bharath received loud applause when he said that his team would not “tolerate arrogance, high handedness, mediocrity and indiscipline.”
He said several UNC members had complained that quite a few government ministers were arrogant and high handed.
“I think that is what led to our defeat. As you all know, we have an election petition to is currently before the court.
“And while we eagerly await the outcome of that matter, we must ask ourselves if we are prepared as a party to win those six seats if the matter goes in our favour. Have we recaptured the imagination of those who may not have voted for us. I think we all know the answer,” he said.
Bharath said the wrongs committed by the UNC were when monies were amassed by some over the last five years and used to buy radio stations, journalists and announcers, or remove the names from the membership list because of the perceived preference for one candidate over another.
Bharath said maximum leadership was a recipe for disaster.
“We must treat with allegations of misconduct head on. As a party our future must not be coloured by the inappropriate actions of a few in office. Today, I say to you it is time to move away from the political rhetoric that has nothing to do with improving the quality of your lives but everything to do with selfish leaders wanting to stay in power.”
Team Reconnect slate
Vasant Bharath—leader
Dr Fuad Khan—chairman (MP for San Juan/Barataria)
Garvin Nicholas—deputy political leader
Stephen Cadiz—deputy political leader
Rishi Tripathi—regional coordinator central
Dr Ramchand Rampersad—policy and strategy officer
Rishi Ramkissoon—treasurer
Ralph Henry—north/west regional coordinator
Prakash Williams—elections officer
Camille Elie-Govind—south coordinator
Sharon Harrilal—international relations officer
Valini Chadee-Dhanraj—research officer
Vishnu Koon Koon—regional coordinator north/east
Shane Mohammed—vice chairman
Wazeer Aleem—party organiser
Nirmala Sesnarayan—education officer