Political sources in Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed that there will be a three-way race for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) involving the current leader Basdeo Panday, deputy leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj. If that is true, the election could put a wedge in the Ramjack alliance since Maharaj's colleague, Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, has said he would support Persad-Bissessar if she decides to run.
Maharaj is a member of Warner's Movement for Change and his candidacy could present an awkward political dilemma for Warner.
Warner himself is not interested in the leadership and his stated goal has always been to get the UNC battle-ready to beat the People's National Movement (PNM) an an election. Both he and Maharaj have worked closely to develop a platform for change.
In an email from South Africa he said he is not aware that Maharaj is planning to run but again reiterated his position.
"The political leadership position of the UNC has never been my own goal;victory of the UNC at the polls is my objective and to achieve that, democracy and change must first occur from within the UNC," he said.
He said Persad-Bissessar is "is as much entitled as anyone else to seek the support of the membership for the position as Political Leader. And it is my view that she is well qualified to so do."
He added, "She is a bright, loyal and committed leader who has always demonstrated that party and country come before any personal political ambitions. More than ever now those are the principles upon which the leadership of the UNC must established."
That strong endorsement would likely create divisions in the Movement for Change if Maharaj confirms that he will run. He and persad-Bissessar are out of the country and neither has confirmed what the sources have been saying.
But one thing is certain. Warner is not contributing funds for any candidate in the internal election. He said what is more important is how the election is conducted. "Money is not what is needed...but instead faith and a free and fair election," he said.
While Persad-Bissessar has not confirmed anything, she not ruled out a run for the leadership.
She is still consulting her constituents and supporters outside of her home base to hear their views.
However, in an interview with the Trinidad Express, she stated that she has no deals with anybody. The former attorney general explained that whatever she decides would be based on consensus and would be in the interest of the country, adding that it goes beyond party matters.
"We are in a very desperate position where crime is at an all-time high, corruption, squandermania and waste, an economic recession and the breakdown of infrastructure of health care and education, and in such a scenario, it is a very serious issue and it is not a time when one can make a rash decision.
"It is not a decision to be rushed as to whether I would contest a leadership position in the party,’ she told the paper. She insisted that she herself will not choose to run or not to run.
"It is the people’s choice and the people’s voice, the voice of the people is the voice of God, and bearing all of that in mind and given the seriousness of the matter, I am not inclined to make any rash decision."
But at least one political source insists that there is a conspiracy in the UNC election affair.
In an email to JYOTI, the source explained that it is a plan by Panday "to smoke out Ramesh...Kamla will never run against Panday".
The source added, "It's all part of a complicated political game...they will bash Ramesh and Jack, make Ramesh think its a 3-way fight between him, Kamla and Bas, and make Ramesh shoot at 2 targets instead of one, mash him up, then at the last minute Panday will stand aside and 'anoint' Kamla."
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