(Divali unity - Kamla and COP's Prakash Ramadhar)United National Congress (UNC) Deputy Leader Kamla Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been getting closer to the Congress of the People (COP) ever since the party invited her to speak at its congress earlier this year.
She and COP deputy leader Prakash Ramadhar celebrated Divali together in Spiaria and she walked with Ramadhar to protest the new land tax. She had planned to speak on a COP "Axe the Tax" platform this weekend.
But she has now decided that she won't attend.
Persad-Bissessar changed her mind after UNC Leader Basdeo Panday stated on national radio that she did not get the party's permission to attend the COP rally at Woodford Square, Port-of-Spain.
He told "The Morning Panchayat" on 106.1 FM the UNC’s executive did not discuss the matter, adding that the party has no official position on participation in the rally.
Panday said Persad-Bissessar’s involvement in the meeting is something that she should explain. “You would have to ask her about that,” he said in reaction to a question about her attendance.
Commenting on the matter, the Siparia MP told the Trinidad Guardian she agreed a couple weeks ago to attend the rally “when circumstances were different.”
The circumstances have changed, she said, with new political developments that include COP's open criticism last week of her leader over the meeting Panday had with prime minister Patrick Manning.
COP leader Winston Dookeran harshly criticized both Panday and Manning, suggesting that they have an alliance and demanded that they publicly state what is their "secret agenda".
Read the story: "I don't trust Mr Panday": Dookeran
Persad-Bissessar said she has written to Ramadhar advising him that she would not be attending.
Vasant Bharath, told the Guardian there's no point in continuing to work on a relationship with COP because "We feel trust has been betrayed."
Related story: Dookeran slams gov't; talks of Panday-Manning alliance
Persad-Bissessar leads a UNC team, which includes Bharath, that is responsible for meeting political parties and groups to try to form a common political front against the PNM.
She was in the spotlight last month when a delegate to a UNC congress stood up and told Panday it is time for him to step down and hand over the party's leadership to Persad-Bissessar.
Panday's response to the suggestion was cool, saying only that the matter would be considered by the executive. For her part, Persad-Bissessar admitted that she has support in the party but the suggestion was just the view of one delegate.
So far no UNC member has said if she or he would run for the leadership of the party in internal elections, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 24, 2010. Panday has said he would run if people want him to and if he gets nominated.
Read the story: UNC delegate tells Panday step aside and let Kamla lead
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