Kamla takes charge of the UNC, praises the media

Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday formally took over the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) from Basdeo Panday, the man who founded the party in 1989.

And in speech to mark the occasion she said Sunday's vote marked the initial step towards reconciliation, reunification and rebuilding of the nation.

"This is a victory of the people, whoever they happen to be, man or woman, of every creed and race and space and place," she said.

She said the election was a very important part of the democracy in the UNC and praised those who had the foresight to create a system that allows every member to participate in the process of electing a leader and other members of the national executive.

"My message this afternoon goes beyond lines and other boundaries, real or imagined, and the message simply is that change is no longer just in the air, it has arrived at your doorstep.

"On Sunday night a few thousand people ensured that politics in Trinidad and Tobago would begin to take on a whole new meaning and that what before separated us would now bring us together.

"That the old way of doing things would now be replaced by the ONLY way of doing things, with tolerance for each other, with the greater good in mind, where personal political ambitions are secondary to nobler, national pursuits in the interest of every citizen."

She said the UNC must never again betray the trust of its membership and the nation.

"The political tribalism that once divided us will now give way to a nationalism and patriotism for the hunger of a child in Laventille is the same as that of one in Penal, and the fear of a father for his family’s safety in Tobago is the same as the ones in Toco.

And the pleas for water in Cedros is the same as those in Diego Martin, and the cries of a patient for proper medical attention in Port of Spain is the same as the ones in San Fernando," she said.

She praised the new chairman, Jack Warner, his perseverance and dedication in demanding accountability and change, and for taking the issue to the members across the country.

"And so we congratulate Mr. Warner and the Movement for Change for challenging the status quo and helping bringing us to where we are today.

"Had it not been for their untiring and selfless dedication to the cause of democracy in our party, the voices of our membership may have remained silenced and our nation would have suffered the result," she said.

Persad-Bissessar also pledged to make the new UNC a government in waiting."I shall recommend to our executive that we should immediately establish a shadow cabinet that will have responsibility for monitoring the day to day activities of the government.

She promised that "we will become the national watchdogs on your behalf. And we will not allow the Manning regime to get away with anything."

She invited everyone to work with the UNC and join the new revolution for change.

"Today I want to invite all of you to come home and bring the rest of the family. There is room in the house of the Rising Sun for everyone.

"And my arms are open wide to embrace each one of you as we begin this revolution of change that will sweep the Manning administration out of office."

She also expressed her deepest gratitude to the media who contributed to keeping the issues alive during the campaign for the internal election and for keeping on the national agenda daily, the issues that affect our people.

"You are the guardians of democracy and you have never abdicated your responsibility to the people and the country," she said, adding that, "You have my word that I will at all times defend your rights to freedom because without a free media our democracy would be deformed."

The new leader said, "Free speech allows for a marketplace of ideas in which our citizens would be able to judge for themselves – as they did in our just concluded election – what is right and what isn’t.

"We must never allow organizational pressures to get in the way of that freedom. You carry a great burden of responsibility to this nation to report without fear or favour to ensure that today’s minorities are not prevented from becoming tomorrow’s majority."