Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has dismissed internal elections in the United National Congress (UNC) as "irrelevant".In an interview with Newsday, the Tabaquite MP and former Attorney General said the time for "Rienzi UNC" is over because people are no longer interested.
Maharaj said people are more concerned with change in the country and how to remove the Manning administration. That, he said, is the mission that he and some of his UNC colleagues are undertaking.
He was speaking about the Movement for Change headed by UNC Deputy Leader Jack Warner. He, Warner and Mayaro MP Winston "Gypsy" Peters have fallen out with the party over the demands for change.
The so-called RAMJACK group's first quarrel with the party was its demand for internal elections to be followed by change to prepare to win the governing People's National Movement (PNM) and win.
The UNC has tentatively set its internal election for January 24.
UNC deputy chairman and St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath has called for an end to divisions in the party and has urged members to remember that their common goal is to get into office "to provide good governance for the people of Trinidad and Tobago."
Bharath told Newsday he hopes all members would demonstrate maturity once the party elections are over, adding that the RAMJACK team must take this into consideration as they continue their appeal for change.
But the real issue is whether Maharaj, Warner and Peters can run as candidates in any internal election. Bharath told Newsday he cannot comment on that or on the issue of whether they would be allowed to participate in October's national congress and the national assembly next month.
He said the party’s disciplinary committee, which is due to report on Nov. 7, will determine that.
The UNC constitution bans members facing disciplinary action from taking part in internal elections. Under the present circumstances that puts the three RAMJACK MPs out of the race.
Warner is planning to call a UNC congress on November 29 to determine a date for internal elections, approve the draft manifesto for change and appoint an interim national executive. The UNC has declared the move as illegal.
The Chaguanas MP has also threatened to take the party to court over what he calls a "bogus" list of financial members. In a recent letter to the party's general secretary, Warner cautioned the UNC about holding any congress, assembly or other such gathering until the matter is resolved.
"Any attempt to hold such a Congress with the current outdated and inaccurate list would be void," Warner noted, adding that he reserves his legal right "to institute legal proceedings to address this illegality."
Read the story: Jack complains of "bogus" UNC membership list
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