Maharaj turns campaign to attack Kamla, Jack

Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is turning his campaign for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) from policy to an open attack on those who are opposing him.

Maharaj, who is one of three candidates running for the post of leader, believes that Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner is now financing Kamla Persad-Bissessar and is targeting both of them.

The Siparia MP is one of the leadership candidates and Warner is running for the post of chairman.

Each of them is conducting separate campaigns and Persad-Bissessar has made it clear that she is not getting any financial support from the Warner. However she has welcomed Warner's support for her in the January 24, 2010 internal election.

Maharaj, who was a member of the now disbanded Ramjack team that helped force the election, is peeved that Warner is not supporting his candidacy. Warner has said he believes Persad-Bissessar is the best candidate to lead the party.

Speaking about registrations, which closed on Friday, Maharaj suggested that Persad-Bissessar might have had "inside help" in registering new members for the election.

He said while he had great difficulty getting forms for his supporters Warner and Persad-Bissessar didn't seem to have the same experience.

"We saw them bringing in these forms, as a matter of fact there is a combination of the team of Mr. Jack Warner with Kamla Persad-Bissessar and you would have seen all the workers taking in forms," he said on national television Saturday night.

"As a matter of fact an official of Mr. Warner's office admitted to one of my activists that they have over the last few days have sent in about 15,000 forms at the Rienzi Complex," Maharaj said.

Maharaj believes that it could not be just coincidence that the Siparia MP's supporters could get through the registrations without difficulty while those supporting him experienced immense problems.

Persad-Bissessar told reporters she had no significant problems in obtaining registration forms.

"I am not aware of any difficulty of my supporters encountered in going up to register. I will be getting a report back on that. I am not aware of any difficulties they may have experienced.

They may have had to wait but that might because there were so many people wanting to register," she said.

Read the story: UNC registration closes; many left frustrated

The Tabaquite MP said despite what might be construed as an advantage by his opponent he is confident that he would defeat her.

He said he believes that many of those who appear to be supporting Warner and Persad-Bissessar would end up voting for him, adding that that would determine who wins the vote next month.

"They cannot tell the people who to vote for, they might tell them, but people go into the voting box and it is voting secrecy," he declared.