Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj continues to focus his attack on Kamla Persad-Bissessar although she is not a candidate for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC), saying if she runs against him it would be a reversal of her own stand. Maharaj said the Siparia MP has always been a staunch supporter of UNC leader Basdeo Panday and when he and his colleagues were demanding change in the party Persad-Bissessar was resisting the change and standing firm with Panday.
"She has said publicly that she will support Mr Panday until she dies. He is her leader and she will support him. And therefore, it will be a roundabout turn for her to contest a seat for her to win the political leadership," he said earlier this week.
He has also said PNM agents have infiltrated the UNC and are trying to disrupt attempts to unify all the opposition forces. But he did not identify the alleged agents or explain how they are planning to carry out their assignment.
Panday has accused Chaguanas West MP of being a PNM agent, but has never been able to offer any convincing evidence to support his charge. Warner has always denied those charges and has continued to fight for a strong and united opposition that can fight the People's National Movement (PNM) and win.
He, Maharaj and Mayaro MP Winston "Gypsy" Peters have fought over the past several months to bring change in the UNC and to demand the elections that are taking place next month.
On Thursday night, Warner announced that the Ramjack group and the Movement for Change are going to be disbanded because they have achieved their purpose of starting the process of having internal elections and rebuilding the party.
Maharaj told supporters, "There are strong PNM people who do not want unity and some PNM people in the opposition parties who will do everything to block unity. If we cannot get unity then we must make the UNC a strong vehicle that will mobilise everyone to remove Manning," Maharaj said.
The strength, he said, would come if UNC members elect him leader on January 24 because he has the best track record of fighting the PNM.
He warned that if the UNC leadership is weak, the PNM would call an election, win a stronger majority and pass a new constitution that would institutionalise a dictatorship in the country.
He said the draft constitution that Prime Minister Patrick Manning wants to pass would take away fundamental rights, including media freedom and the freedom to worship.
In addition he said it would give Manning control over all the arms of the state, including the Judiciary, which is today independent of executive or legislative control.
Speaking about his party's ability to beat Manning, Maharaj said the UNC doesn't have the machinery or strategy in place to win a general election. However he said under his leadership all that will change.
“We have to build the UNC to revitalise it, to give it new energy, to make it strong so that we can stop Manning from becoming a full dictator...To do this we need to work with all the leaders of the opposition party,” Maharaj said.
He pledged to work with "any executive" the party elects.
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