UNC ready for unity, mass membership; Jack stays as Whip

Kamla Persad-Bissessar is standing firm on her decision to appoint Jack Warner as the Chief Whip for the United National Congress (UNC) in Parliament.

The UNC leader was speaking at a news conference at the Rienzi Complex in Couva where she announced a mass membership drive.

She also announced that the UNC would establish a small working committee to work out specific details for holding unity discussions with stakeholders and political organisations opposed to the Manning administration.

She insisted that what she is aspiring to have is "a unity that can be sustained if the nation is to go forward". During the election campaign for the UNC leadership Persad-Bissessar pledged that one of her primary goals as leader would be to unite the opposition forces.

She told reporters that she would confirm the membership committee at Wednesday's parliamentary caucus.

On the matter of the appointment of the Chief Whip Persad-Bissessar made it clear that Warner's commitments to FIFA would not get in the way of his performance, noting that there will always be someone in the Chief Whip's chair.

She said the party has the constitutional mechanisms to deal with the issue as it has done in the past. Harry Partap, who has been appointed deputy Chief Whip, will be available when Warner is absent. And deputy chairman Dr Fuad Khan will be available when Warner isn't present.

She reiterated the rationale for appointing Warner - that he got the second highest number of votes among the MPs in the party election.

The UNC leader said, "I will listen to the voice of the people." She rejected suggestions to allow time for healing, saying the nation is in intensive care and "I cannot afford to tiptoe around people’s egos whilst decisive action is required."

Persad-Bissessar also rejected the notion of two caucuses, with one supporting former UNC leader Basdeo Panday, who is still the official leader of the opposition.

"Any other caucus would not be a UNC parliamentary caucus," she stated. But she was careful to say that there is no disconnect between the party leader of the leader of the opposition.

She said she expects that there will be some areas of concern but they would not stop the UNC from carrying out its functions. "We will want to have communication with Mr Panday...We have no aversion to working alongside him," she said.

But she reminded reporters that no individual is more powerful that the people. "The people want a people’s revolution and no one person or two persons will hold back that revolution...I do believe that the MPs will let good sense prevail, that they would listen to the people."

She noted that since the leadership change the UNC has been experiencing a resurgence of support "unlike anything we could even have anticipated".

Speaking about the new membership drive, Persad-Bissessar said seniors over 65 would qualify for free membership.

In order to maintain contact with the people, the new executive would begin a meet-the-constituencies tour, starting on February 8 with the Couva North and South constituencies.

At the same time the party is reopening nominations for the local government elections which will take place this year unless Prime Minister Patrick Manning reneges on his word again.