Kamla in full control, takes over as opposition leader Thursday

UNC chairman Jack Warner has confirmed that Kamla Persad-Bissessar will take the oath of office as leader of the opposition at President’s House on Thursday afternoon.

It would be the final move in the political change that began on January 24, 2010 when the Siparia MP defeated Panday 10-1 in the UNC's internal election, toppling Panday from the post he has held unchallenged since the birth of the party, except for a brief period when he had anointed Winston Dookeran as leader.

Panday remained opposition leader after the internal vote because he continued to have the support of the majority of opposition Members of Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar needed two additional votes to unseat Panday, which she got last week when Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal and Caroni East MP changed allegiances and said they would support her.

Moonilal is the only member of the Panday team that won a post on the new 18-member UNC national executive.

The change from Panday to Persad-Bissessar means there would likely be a divided opposition.

Panday is unhappy with the changes but still has the support of family members, Subhas and Mickela who are both MPs, as well as his long time ally and only remaining member of the original ULF team, Kelvin Ramnath.

They and Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath did not sign the latter supporting Persad-Bissessar.

Warner told reporters Wednesday there would be some adjustments to the seating arrangements of UNC MPs in both Houses of Parliament to reflect the change that UNC members voted for on January 24.

Moonilal told the media he cannot comment on behalf of those MPs who did not sign the letter of support for the new leader, but suggested that he party cannot wait for them to make up their minds.

“We are 24 months away from a general election and there is a limit to how much the party can slow down to accommodate persons who have not recovered somewhat from the internal party election,” Moonilal said.

On the new Senate, he said it "will take the country by storm” and show that the UNC is a strong government in waiting.

Moonilal did not answer questions about whether ex-UNC leader Basdeo Panday would be an asset or liability to the UNC.

Instead he told reporters, “Mr Panday has his own peculiar brand of politics".

Panday is still refusing to support the new leadership, but has pledged to continue to serve his Couva North constituents.