Gypsy won't stay in UNC under Panday's leadership: Report

The Trinidad Express reported Monday that opposition MP Winston "Gypsy" Peters is not interested in remaining a member of the United National Congress (UNC) under the leadership of Basdeo Panday.

The paper quoted Peters as saying he is weighing his options and might consider defecting to the Congress of the People (COP) if Panday is re-elected leader in the UNC's internal election.

"If he puts himself up for the elections they want to have or say they having, and he wins, I will leave the UNC," the paper quoted Peters as saying.

"It is only until such time that a decision will be made in terms of my options. I have to see exactly how this is working and exactly what is happening, because the UNC did a lot for this country and I am UNC and I want us to work. But we cannot work with Mr Panday as the leader, he could take this party no further," he said.

The paper said it asked Peters whether there is a chance of reconciliation between Panday and the Movement for Change led by Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner.

It said Peters responded by saying that people are continuing to talk. "We have to continue to talk, and reconciliation is always an option...the kind of reconciliation which needs to happen is all of us getting together and telling Mr Panday he has to go, and reconciling with the people who have left the party and those on opposing sides, so we can win."