Moonilal supporting Kamla for leader

File: Roodal Moonilal and PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar tour the Chancery Lane Teaching Hospital complex

Roodal Moonilal told the Express newspaper on Wednesday that under the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the stability of the United National Congress (UNC) is the best it has ever been. 

Moonilal, who is one of the party's three deputy leaders, also pledged loyalty to his leader, saying he has no intention of challenging her for the post of leader.

The UNC's executive elections are due this year and all posts are open, including that of political leader. Under the party's constitution the leader holds the post for three years and other executive members are elected every two years.
 
In 2010 Persad-Bissessar made history when she defeated Basdeo Panday 10-1 in the internal election on January 24. She became the first person to challenge Panday for the leadership of the party he founded and became the first woman to lead a national political party. Four months later she led her People's Partnership to a landslide victory over the Manning PNM, winning 29 of the 41 seats in the House of Representatives.

In the executive election of 2010 Moonilal was on the Panday team that opposed Persad-Bissesssar but he had no choice but to join the Kamla team when he became the only member of the Panday slate to win a post of Deputy Leader.  Vasant Bharath ran for the chairmanship of the party and lost to Jack Warner.

There was speculation that Bharath might be planning to challenge Persad-Bissessar for the leadership. But he ended that when he stated that he has no such ambition and pledged full loyalty to his leader.

Now Moonilal is doing the same, saying he is fully behind Persad-Bissessar. Commenting on the party under Persad-Bissessar's leadership, the housing minister said it is "the most stable it has been in history." He added, "We have nothing to worry about; this is the calmest the party has been," noting that Persad-Bissessar has "presided over an unprecedented period of growth and stability of the party."

Elections for officers of the three main parties are due this year. The PNM has already announced that it will hold the vote on May 18. There is no challenger yet to face Keith Rowley but there is a lot of talk about at least one or two persons who might toss their hats in the ring. 

Warner, who is the interim leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) has said the party will hold its internal election in March this year.The UNC has not yet announced a date for its election.