Panday says it's Kamla right to run for UNC leadership

"It’s her right."

That's what United National Congress (UNC) leader Basdeo Panday told the Trinidad Guardian when asked to comment on reports that UNC deputy leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar might challenge him for the post of leader in UNC internal elections on January 24, 2010.

"It’s her right if she wants to. She’s entitled to contest a post if she wishes," Panday told the paper.

Persad-Bissessar has been silent about her intentions. But there's a growing lobby for her to run for the leadership. It started at last month's UNC National Congress when a delegate asked Panday to step aside and let Persad-Bissessar lead the party.

He told Panday she is only one who can return the UNC to government.

Read the story: UNC delegate tells Panday step aside and let Kamla lead

Persad-Bissessar is out of the country and is likely to miss Sunday's National Assembly at which the party would confirm the date for the election.

Chaguanas MP Jack Warner and Mayaro MP Winston "Gypsy" Peters have said if she decides to run they would support her.

And an online Facebook group formed to encourage her run has more than 400 members.

The Guardian quoted Peters as suggesting there are moves to prod Persad-Bissessar.

"I don’t want to divulge those things as yet. But there has been dialogue going on within the party all the time on a continuous basis in a general sense with everybody, including some of them who are not saying anything and some of them are very supportive of other people apart from Mr Panday," the paper quoted him as saying.

And it said he reiterated his support for Persad-Bissessar. "As long as she goes up I’ll support her 100 per cent—and she would win. Jack doesn’t want to be leader. He wants to be chairman and I will support that as well," he said.

The paper asked Panday if he would be disappointed or hurt if Persad-Bissessar had been talking secretly with the Ramjack team.

He said, "I don’t know and I don’t care. I wouldn’t be surprised about anything. People are entitled to speak to whoever they wish."

He also told the paper he has not spoken with Persad-Bissessar about any alleged links with the Ramjack faction but suggested that he is concerned about her absence from several executive meetings.

He told the paper the internal election is a process in democracy. The UNC Constitution allows one-person-one-vote for members in good financial standing, which makes the UNC "the most democratic party", he said, adding that anyone from the rank and file can run for office.

He said the Constitution has been deliberately designed to prevents "anyone from hijacking the party."

The paper said Panday mentioned that several MPs are eager to run as part of his team in the internal election but didn't name any, saying he would do that in January when the list is final.