Dr Surujrattan Rambachan will replace Wade Mark as the opposition leader in the Senate, but Mark will retain his seat in the Upper House. Rambachan is one of the UNC's three deputy leaders. The announcement was made Monday night by United National Congress (UNC) Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a meeting in Diego Martin at which she presented the new team.
Persad-Bissessar also announced that she is reinstating Lyndira Oudit to the Senate. Former UNC leader Basdeo Panday fired Oudit just before Persad-Bissessar assumed office. She was the only opposition Senator who supported Persad-Bissessar in the internal election in January; she won one of the posts of deputy leader.
Persad Bissessar also announced that her former UNC cabinet colleague, Mervyn Assam, would be taking up a seat among the opposition.
He is a former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and former Minister of Enterprise Development, Tourism and Foreign Affairs.
She said Assam is "a solid, articulate politician whose penchant for research and hard work will add some depth to our work in the Senate." She said he would add "experience in the mix (and)...bring some new approaches to the way things are done."
She also announced the appointment of Verna St Rose Greaves to the Senate, a resident of Diego Martin. She is trained in gender studies, industrial relations, mediation and human rights and is a well known local television personality, hosting shows addressing social issues.
Christopher Joefield will remain a temporary senator until the debate on the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) is completed. He is Second Vice President of the Public Service Association and was appointed on the advice of PSA President, Watson Duke.
The UNC appointed Joefield to give the PSA a voice in the Senate in defence of the thousands of workers who will lose their jobs if the TTRA Act becomes law.
The opposition leader said a sixth Senator will be appointed later "in further reflection of the rainbow culture and people of our nation."
Panday-appointed senators Dr Adesh Nanan, M.F. Rahman, Jennifer Jones-Kernahan and Sharon Gopaul Mc Nichols will not be returning to the Upper Chamber.
The opposition leader said she used three criteria for making the senatorial appointments and changes.
"First of all, I had to recognise that our membership voted overwhelmingly for change and so my selection would have to reflect that mandate.
"The second criterion was that the appointments would have to recruit more support for the party through the candidates chosen.
"And thirdly, I felt the senators chosen should reflect a party that is truly all inclusive, one that cuts across class, colour and creed."
She said she recognised that if she stayed with "all of the old guard I would have pleased the reactionary groups but would raise the ire of those who voted and expected a changing of the guard and a more forward thinking party."
She added, "I knew, however, that once I did this I would become open to criticism that I was removing those who did not support me.
"But I could not allow the prospect of criticism to influence the tough decisions which had to be made in the interest of the party and nation. So I opted for doing what I believe to be best at this time for taking things forward."
2 comments:
Good work appointing someone who can bring a gendered analysis to Senate! No need to apologize for throwing out the old guard. And you didn't throw them all out anyway. Onwards and upwards!
Well done, I think this line up would create some credibility that is much needed. Can't wait for the removing of the dead beats in the lower house, oh gorrrrrd two years again.
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