Jack Warner on Thursday night asked members of the United National Congress (UNC) to elect Justice Minister Herbert Volney as Deputy Leader and Senate Vice President Lyndira Oudit as vice chairman of the party in Saturday's election.
Warner made the appeal as he campaigned for his own re-election for the post of chairman of the UNC.
Speaking in Debe he said as chairman he needs the assistance of strong, fiercely independent people like Volney and Oudit.
He reminded his audience that in 2009 when everybody was afraid to stand up and support Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the leadership of the party Oudit put her career on the line and stood up with Persad-Bissessar.
At that time she was also under pressure from members of the team supported by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday. During that campaign, Panday fired Oudit from the Senate, saying he had to do it because she was no longer loyal to him.
Oudit rejected overtures and pressure from the Panday team and stood with Persad-Bissessar, winning one of the posts of Deputy Leader.
Warner said the UNC needs people like Oudit to make the party grow and develop into the true national institution that it has become.
With respect to Volney he said the former judge could have remained where he was and enjoy all the perks and privileges of being a member of the bench. However he said Volney chose to stand with the UNC when the party needed that extra push to win the 2010 general election.
He praised Volney and asked the UNC membership to elect the minister as one of the party's deputy leaders on Saturday.
In making a pitch for his own re-election, he again stated that he has been one of the people who kept the party united and helped make the UNC a truly national party. He said his vision is for the diversity to grow, with every group and class and the country represented in the membership.
The trio - Warner, Oudit and Volney - are running as independents. Warner said UNC members are free to elect whomever they believe is best to serve the interests of the party. However he asked for the party to just give him two - Volney and Oudit.
There are three slates running in the election. One of them - the Nationalists - is headed by Deputy Leader Roodal Moonilal and comprises 12 incumbents, including Moonilal and Suruj Rambachan as deputy leaders.
The team is running candidates for all the posts except chairman. On Wednesday in Debe the MP for Mayaro, Winston Peters, called on UNC members to support Warner for chairman.
And as he made the same appeal Thursday night, he urged everyone in the UNC to reject the team lead by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday. Peters said Panday's motive is to take the party backwards.
Warner made the appeal as he campaigned for his own re-election for the post of chairman of the UNC.
Speaking in Debe he said as chairman he needs the assistance of strong, fiercely independent people like Volney and Oudit.
He reminded his audience that in 2009 when everybody was afraid to stand up and support Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the leadership of the party Oudit put her career on the line and stood up with Persad-Bissessar.
At that time she was also under pressure from members of the team supported by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday. During that campaign, Panday fired Oudit from the Senate, saying he had to do it because she was no longer loyal to him.
Oudit rejected overtures and pressure from the Panday team and stood with Persad-Bissessar, winning one of the posts of Deputy Leader.
Warner said the UNC needs people like Oudit to make the party grow and develop into the true national institution that it has become.
With respect to Volney he said the former judge could have remained where he was and enjoy all the perks and privileges of being a member of the bench. However he said Volney chose to stand with the UNC when the party needed that extra push to win the 2010 general election.
He praised Volney and asked the UNC membership to elect the minister as one of the party's deputy leaders on Saturday.
In making a pitch for his own re-election, he again stated that he has been one of the people who kept the party united and helped make the UNC a truly national party. He said his vision is for the diversity to grow, with every group and class and the country represented in the membership.
The trio - Warner, Oudit and Volney - are running as independents. Warner said UNC members are free to elect whomever they believe is best to serve the interests of the party. However he asked for the party to just give him two - Volney and Oudit.
There are three slates running in the election. One of them - the Nationalists - is headed by Deputy Leader Roodal Moonilal and comprises 12 incumbents, including Moonilal and Suruj Rambachan as deputy leaders.
The team is running candidates for all the posts except chairman. On Wednesday in Debe the MP for Mayaro, Winston Peters, called on UNC members to support Warner for chairman.
And as he made the same appeal Thursday night, he urged everyone in the UNC to reject the team lead by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday. Peters said Panday's motive is to take the party backwards.
He noted that while the UNC founder may have done a lot of good for the party and the country he has not had a single positive thing to say since Persad-Bissessar defeated him and became leader of the party.
The leadership of the party is not being challenged in Saturday's election and Persad-Bissessar has stated that she is not going to endorse anyone.
However, the MP for Couva North, Ramona Ramdial, said on Wednesday that the Nationalists slate has been endorsed by the political leader.
The third slate is headed by UNC activist Sunil Ramjitsingh.
Moonilal has rejected the two other slates and urged UNC members to throw their full support behind his Nationalists, most of whom have already served the party well.
There are some new faces in the team, including the Mayor of San Fernando, Marlene Coudray (Deputy Leader), Glenn Ramadharsingh (Central Coordinator) and Chandresh Sharma (Party Organiser). All the others are incumbents.
Moonilal has said he didn't invite Warner to join his slate because the chairman had stated that he wanted to run as an independent. However he has told the membership to vote for the person they believe would be best for chairman. Warner's main challenger is Attorney Ashwani Mahabir, a former Warner employee.
The leadership of the party is not being challenged in Saturday's election and Persad-Bissessar has stated that she is not going to endorse anyone.
However, the MP for Couva North, Ramona Ramdial, said on Wednesday that the Nationalists slate has been endorsed by the political leader.
The third slate is headed by UNC activist Sunil Ramjitsingh.
Moonilal has rejected the two other slates and urged UNC members to throw their full support behind his Nationalists, most of whom have already served the party well.
There are some new faces in the team, including the Mayor of San Fernando, Marlene Coudray (Deputy Leader), Glenn Ramadharsingh (Central Coordinator) and Chandresh Sharma (Party Organiser). All the others are incumbents.
Moonilal has said he didn't invite Warner to join his slate because the chairman had stated that he wanted to run as an independent. However he has told the membership to vote for the person they believe would be best for chairman. Warner's main challenger is Attorney Ashwani Mahabir, a former Warner employee.
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