Kamla Persad-Bissessar borrowed a phrase from her political "mentor and guru" Basdeo Panday Saturday night saying she would not allow anyone to shift the focus of her leadership campaign through the use of propaganda, lies, half-truths and innuendos. "I will stay focused on our objective which is to re-build, transform and strengthen our party to win the next general election," she told supporters at a dinner in Chaguanas.
The Siparia MP is in a three-way contest for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) in what she calls a democratic process to determine who is best capable of uniting the party and winning an election.
And she insists that she is not running against incumbent basdeo Panday and Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj but running with them to settle the very important and critical issue of leadership in the party.
Her definition is important, she said, because when the election is over, a new leader must bring together everyone and work in harmony so the UNC can end the bickering and prepare for the main event, which is to beat the PNM in an election.
Persad-Bissessar said she put country first when she decided to enter the campaign, leaving personal friendships and loyalties behind.
"This is about patriotism not personal friendships; this is about winning elections, not about winning affection. I am driven by a resolve to remove Mr. Manning from office and bringing in a UNC administration," she declared.
She insisted that by offering to lead and achieve that goal she is not showing any disrespect for Panday but merely carrying on his struggle against an administration that has overstayed its welcome.
The former attorney general said both Panday and Maharaj are viciously attacking her because they are "terrified" at the widespread national support that she is attracting.
"The word is that there will be an assault on my reputation, character and my name. I expect to be called names that are used to defame and destroy women. It will be a “shock and awe” operation," she said.
She assured her supporters that she can handle that but not by doing the same. She insisted that she will not get into the dirt and mudslinging because she needs to focus on what is the real purpose of the campaign.
That purpose, she said, is to bring about the critical change that the party needs in order to regain its strength and win an election.
"Let me assure you my friends, that I will be compassionate and understanding and will not retaliate in the War with mud-slinging. I keep my hands and my heart clean and will continue to promote peace and reconciliation and unity," she said.
Persad-Bissessar pledged to remain faithful to the revolutionary change that the party needs. That change, she said will come through healing and hope.
She invited her audience to join her in fighting for change both in the UNC and in the nation.
She spoke of an urgency for the UNC to be battle-ready to face and defeat Manning and the PNM. She said Manning is bothered by her momentum and is already planning a snap election.
"It is imperative that we put our house of the rising sun in order to make sure we win that election whenever they pull the date out of the back pocket. We can do that by voting for the candidate who has the competencies to best unite the opposition forces to win the general election," she said.
She said when party members consider the alternatives, they must conclude that she is the best candidate for the job. And she urged them to vote for her on January 24 to provide the UNC with the leadership it deserves so that it can be ready to provide new and effective leadership to the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment