Bas ready to form new political party in TT if necessary

File: Quote from the 2010 internal election 

Basdeo Panday said on Saturday he will make sure that the internal election of the United National Congress (UNC) on March 24 is free and fair, adding that he is willing to go to court to make sure that it is.

The former UNC political leader, who was defeated in 2010 by Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the adviser of a group called Generation Next for the internal vote for the election of a a new national executive. 

He has said repeatedly that he will not contest a seat but will advise the group to field a full slate of candidates for the 17 posts.

Since his defeat in 2010 the former Prime Minister has insisted that his party was "stolen" and his campaign for March 24 is based on the theme of "taking back" the party. However, Panday has never officially challenged the results and neither has he produced any evidence to support his charge.

In fact it would have been very unlikely for the Persad-Bissessar team to "fix" the election because Panday loyalists were in charge of the entire election apparatus. 

Now he is raising the same fears, saying if the March 24 election is "stolen" the members of the party would be justified by forming a new political party to contest the next local government and general elections.

So far Panday has not identified any prominent member of the UNC who is in his camp except his daughter, Mickela, who was the representative for Oropouche West in the 2007 Parliament. Stacy Roopnarine now represents that constituency.

Former Panday cabinet minister Dr Adesh Nanan was present at Saturday's meeting at the party's headquarters at Rienzi Complex. 

Panday said all supporters must be vigilant. "We must also demand that the counting of ballots take place at the polling station on the very day of the election and we be present at counting," he said.

Panday told the meeting that he has written to the party's general secretary, Dave Tancoo, asking for an updated list of all members who are eligible to vote, the date for nomination of candidates, the posts and offices for which the election will be held and the addresses of polling stations.

The former UNC leader charged that the People's Partnership is "strangling" to death the UNC.