Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says he fears the United National Congress internal elections will not be fair after learning that an election committee member participated a strategy meeting for Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar last Tuesday.
Moonilal said this while responding to a claim by fellow candidate for party leadership Vasant Bharath, who said text messages were sent out on his behalf, asking people whether they would support him. Bharath launched his Team Reconnect slate at Couva South Hall on Saturday and denied sending text messages to members.
Speaking at the Asja Boys’ College Alumni’s Breakfast at School event in San Fernando yesterday, Moonilal said his team sent text messages to members, inviting them to his team’s campaign launch last Thursday. However, no one was asked who they would support and he condemned that type of campaign.
Sharing Bharath’s concern, he called on chairman of the election committee, Dr Rampersad Parasram, to ensure that the elections are free and fair.
“I share his fears because information has come to us that last week Tuesday, there was a meeting in St Augustine at which Mrs (Kamla) Persad-Bissessar attended. She has all rights to attend and speak to supporters but we have very disturbing information that a member of the election committee participated in a strategy meeting of Mrs Persad-Bissessar.
“We also have information that the general secretary of the party was also at that meeting. If that is true, we have written a legal letter to the chairman of the election committee.
“If this is true, it means that member of the election committee must resign forthwith if he was indeed participating in a meeting of strategy by Mrs Persad-Bissessar and others at a home in Tunapuna. I share Mr Bharath’s concern, I think as we get closer to the elections, we must voice our concerns. If a political party cannot run a free and fair election, that party and those leaders do not deserve to be in government and that is my position,” Moonilal said.
Calls were made to Persad-Bissessar’s cellphone and a text message sent but she did not respond. If victorious, Moonilal said he will seek to have all People’s Partnership MPs nominate him for the position of Opposition Leader, which is currently held by Persad-Bissessar.
However, he said that issue will be dealt with after the election as his focus now was to present his case to the membership.
He reiterated Bharath, a former senator, illegitimacy to become Opposition Leader if he is victorious but welcomed his participation in the election, saying that the introduction of Team Reconnect makes the democracy of the party richer.