Panday promises to quit if he loses UNC election

Basdeo Panday has repeated his promise to quit politics if he does not win the contest for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) on January 24.

For the first time in his career that spans more than 40 years, Panday is in a fight for the leadership of a political party. He has led two political parties - the United Labour Front (ULF) and the UNC and was always unopposed and was a member of two other, the Workers and Farmers Party (WFP) and the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR).

Two of his MPs - Ramesh L. Maharaj and Kamla Persad-Bissessar are challenging him. He has promised to fight to protect the party from "intruders" but at the same time he is prepared to heed the will of the people.

"People have to decide, and if I lose I will have to abide by the wishes of the people and bow out of politics," he told reporters Thursday.

Membership chairman Kelvin Ramnath gave the assurance that the election will go ahead as scheduled with the list that has been approved by the party. The approved list consists of just over 34,000 members.

Ramnath admitted to reporters that Congress of People (COP) members could influence the outcome of the vote, noting that some of them might have obtained membership in the UNC and would be able to vote.

He said he hopes COP leader Winston Dookeran would "advise the COP members to stay out of the business of the UNC".

One COP member is actually an opposition Senator, but since she remains a member of COP she is not able to vote in the internal election.