Chaguanas Mayor Natasha Navas has made good on her promise of working with everyone and has appointed two PNM councillors to head subcommittees of the UNC-controlled Chaguanas Borough Corporation.But Deputy Mayor Orlando Nagessar accused Navas of further splitting the UNC-controlled corporation by shutting out UNC councillors from leading the subcommittees.
"I thought everything was over when Jack Warner removed Suruj Rambachan as mayor...Now I realise that the Ramjack faction...have severed themselves from the UNC, even though they claim to be UNC,” he told the Trinidad Guardian.
Nagassar, who is also a former mayor, said it is customary for all UNC councillors and the mayor to meet in a caucus before appointing the persons to head the subcommittees. He charged that Navas and others opposed to the UNC met with Warner and excluded the UNC members.
He told the paper Navas appointed PNM councillors Bernard Bailey and Patricia Baptiste with any consultation or input from the UNC members of the council.
“Four Ramjack councillors and two PNM councillors were put in charge of the subcommittees, while UNC councillors were not put in charge of anything,” he complained.
A spokesperson for the mayor told the Guardian Navas called several meetings to which the UNC councillors were invited but they never showed up.
“As mayor, she has the privilege to appoint anyone she chooses and she appointed the PNM councillors as the chairmen of the subcommittees...This shows inclusion and change,” the spokesperson said.
UNC leader Basdeo Panday again accused Warner of working with the People's National Movement (PNM). He told the paper UNC supporters should thank Warner “for selling out to the PNM.”
Panday said: “It should be clear now and it should be beyond question that Warner is selling out to the PNM.”
1 comment:
I believe this was a mistake. The Mayor ought to have realized the significance of what she was doing when appointing members of the so-called 'dissident' faction in addition to PNM members. While I applaud the action to bring members of both sides together, it is not productive to believe that the difference between the factions within the UNC are not important. I understand and am sympathetic to RAMJACK's struggle for change within the party, but ignoring the the 'traditional' arm of the UNC after dismissing a mayor appointed by Panday is hardly conducive to peace-building within the party. Still, the Mayor herself has autonomy over these appointments...I hope she made the right decision.
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