UNC Senator Lyndira Oudit is not resigning and will continue to support Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the leadership of the United National Congress.Oudit created a stir recently when he refused to sign a document endorsing UNC Leader Basdeo Panday. Four of her parliamentary colleagues in the upper House signed the document as well as 10 MPs.
She put her job on the line when she publicly rejected Panday and endorsed the Siparia MP.
On his return home from England Panday suggested that Oudit should resign if she no longer has confidence in the leader who appointed her.
But Oudit is not quitting. "I’m not in the party or Senate at the whim and fancy of Mr Panday. I represent the party in the Senate. They chose me to be a Senator because of my ability to contribute," she said Thursday.
She challenged Panday to fire her. "Why should I have to resign because I chose to support another person for political leader? What will happen after January 24? Would I not be seen as good enough for the party?" she asked.
Under the constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, the leader of the opposition appoints six senators and can fire any of all of them at any time.
One significant change that Panday made in the current Parliament was to fire Dr Carson Charles and replace him with Dr Sharon Gopaul-McNicols.
Charles was the leader of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), which was one of the parties in the UNC Alliance that contested the 2007 general election.
McNicol was the deputy leader of the Congress of the People (COP) when Panday appointed her.
Panday said he made the change in keeping with his philosophy of building alliances and encouraging unity and harmony.
But COP leader Winston Dookeran didn't see it that way. He promptly fired Mc Nicol and said she does not represent COP or speak on its behalf.
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“I have a duty and that duty is to represent the party in the Senate. I was not placed in the Senate to represent him (Mr Panday) and if I have to be removed it should be on the basis of my performance in the Senate and not because I support Mrs Kamla Persad- Bissessar in the party’s internal elections,’ she said.
“This is an internal elections, not a general elections. Life continues after January 24 ...Who is going to work for the party if a Local Elections or General Elections are called after the internal elections and you keep alienating people who do not support you?” she asked.
I cannot seem to grasp the logic, rather madness that ensues as the UNC chooses a leader to move forward. I share the sentiments of Senator Oudit, why must an internal election cause members of a political party to be so biiter in trading insults at each other, how are they expected to work together after January 24th, how are they going to work together in our interest. These are the people who wants to lead us yuh know.
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