I am pleased to read that the UNC leader Basdeo Panday has agreed to hold internal elections on January 24 subject to ratification of the party’s national assembly. As long as Panday wants to hold internal elections, the assembly will not defy him.
The key issue is whether the planned election will be free and fair or whether there will be a sham election.
Will voters for the internal elections be hand picked?
The new executive should be chosen in elections that are above board. There should be an independent election committee headed by a person of unblemished record to supervise the elections.
People should be given a period of time to register as members as has happened in every election including those of 2001 and 2005.
Mr Panday complained that the general elections of TT in 2007 and 2002 were not completely free and fair and that his supporters were disenfranchised preventing him from winning them.
He should not now seek to deny people who for years voted for the UNC a chance to become members of the party.
There are also disenchanted PNM-ites who want to join the UNC to vote out the PNM. Let the party open itself to general membership and let everyone have a chance to contest for party posts.
S. Ramjeesingh - via e-mail
No comments:
Post a Comment