UNC membership drive opens Monday

The new executive of the United National Congress (UNC) will immediately launch a membership drive and regularize its membership list. The aim is to grow the party immediately.

UNC Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the announcement Wednesday afternoon after the national executive held its first meeting at the Rienzi complex in Couva.

Persad-Bissessar also announced that Dr Glen Ramadharsingh has agreed to be the new general secretary of the party, replacing Fazal Karim, which advised the party that he would not be able to continue to serve in that role due to pressing personal commitments.

She said it is important to build the party now and added that new membership application forms would be available as early as Monday.

The UNC leader also said she would invite all former executive members and candidates who contested Sunday's internal election to join in the various committees that will immediately begin work on rebuilding the party.

She also said the Parliamentary arm of the party would meet soon.

Persad-Bissessar also addressed the matter of the leader of the opposition. Although she has been elected UNC leader, former leader Basdeo Panday continues to hold that post.

Under the Trinidad and Tobago constitution he can remain in that position so long as he has the support of the majority of the MPs in opposition. Just before the election, 10 MPs signed a documents pledging support for him.

Since then two of them have defected: Harry Partap and Nizam Baksh. In addition she has the support of Jack Warner and Winston "Gypsy, Reports say Chandresh Sharma will also join her, leaving her short of a majority.

Persad-Bissessar said she would call all the MPs to discuss the matter and get their views. Sources say she would have the required majority to unseat Panday in the House of Representatives.

She is likely to get the support of Ramesh L. Maharaj, who stated on Sunday night that members must accept and endorse the new leader. But since that he has told the media that no one had asked for his support for changing the leadership in Parliament.

Roodal Moonilal might be under pressure to switch allegiances since he is now a member of the national executive although he said earlier in the week that Panday should remain as opposition leader.

There is speculation that Dr Tim Gopeesingh might support Persad-Bissessar as opposition leader.