Moonilal dismisses opposition in UNC election. "Not a damn seat for them; they are too wicked!"

Some members of the Nationalists slate for the UNC internal election

Roodal Moonilal on Wednesday scoffed at the opposition in Saturday's internal election of the United National Congress (UNC) and declared that if the team led by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday and his daughter, Mickela, wins the election they would betray the party and cause the fall of the government.

Moonilal, who is a deputy leader of the party, is leading a team called the Nationalists. There are two other slates. The one led by the Pandays is called Generation Next, which Moonilal refers to as GenerationVex. The other is headed by UNC activist Sunil Ramjitsingh.

Speaking at a mass rally at Debe Junction, Moonilal dismissed both teams. However he cautioned supporters not to become complacent. He urged them to make sure they vote on Saturday to ensure that the UNC continues to grow and become stronger and more democratic.

The Housing minister said the strength of the UNC is in its leader, noting that the party's political leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has demonstrated astute leadership with her ability to unite people and serve citizens.

He said she believes in the founding principles of the party, which she has taken to government and made them policy. He reminded the audience that these principles include equality, social justice and democracy.

Moonilal, who is seeking re-election along with many of the members of his team, asked UNC members to endorse the slate he leads because most of them have been guiding the party and mobilising support for it for the past two years. Twelve of the 16 candidates are incumbents. There is no candidate for chairman, a post held by Jack Warner, who is seeking re-election as an independent.

Moonilal noted that most of the incumbents contested the 2010 party election with the symbol of the star for Kamla Persad-Bissessar and now they are nationalists, representing Trinidad & Tobago with a map of the country as their symbol to remind them of their commitment to serve the nation. 

Moonilal is the only member of the current executive who opposed Persad-Bissessar and her team in that election. He ran as a candidate for deputy leader in the team led by Panday and became the only member of the Panday team to win a seat on the national executive.

Moonilal said that election marked a significant turning point for the party. He said in previous party elections there would be bickering and legal challenges following the vote, even the formation of new parties.

He said Kamla Persad-Bissessar changed that when she took change and created a stronger, united and more democratic party based on equality and national unity. Her skills at consensus building led to a new kind of democracy in the party, which is seen in her style of governing as well.

The minister praised Persad-Bissessar for the service she is delivering, pointing out that in every area of national development there is progress and service for the people, regardless of ethnicity or religious belief. He said thanks to Persad-Bissessar, there is going to be a $1Billion investment in Debe in the South campus of the University of the West Indies.

Speaking about Panday's team, Moonilal said he finds it interesting that the two leaders are not running for any post and that as far as he knows the team doesn't even have a symbol. He suggested that they are even reluctant to name their candidates.

He also stated that it seems that Panday and his daughter - whom he christened Papa Bear and BabyBear - are singing from the same song sheet as the opposition People's National Movement (PNM). He accused them of colluding with the PNM to destablise the government.

He warned that if by some accident the "GenerationVex" were to win the election on Saturday they would undermine the leader and the party and overthrow the government. He said that won't happen because the Panday slate cannot attract more than a dozen people at a time.

Moonilal lamented the fact that a man who contributed so much to the country, including make the UNC the most democratic party in the region, has reduced himself such humiliation. "Not a damn seat for them; they are too wicked," Moonilal declared.

He also dismissed the Ramjitsingh led UNC Soldiers as irrelevant.

Moonilal's slate of 16 comprises 12 incumbents:
(** represents incumbent):

1. Dr Roodal Moonilal - 1st Deputy Political Leader**
2. Dr Surujrattan Rambachan - 2nd Deputy Political Leader**
3. Marlene Courdray - 3rd Deputy Leader
4. Khadijah Ameen - Vice Chairman
5. Colin Partap - Policy and Strategy Officer**
6. Shane Mohammed - International Relations Officer**
7. Ramona Ramdial - Elections Officer**
8. Don Sylvester - North Regional Co-ordinator**
9. ChandreshSharma - Party Organiser
10. Arnold Ram - Research Officer** 
11. Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh - Central Co-ordinator
12. Yvette Richards - East Co-ordinator**
13. Shanty Boodram - South Regional Co-ordinator**
14. Barrington "Skippy" Thomas - Tobago Regional Co-ordinator**
15. Dr Daphne Phillip - Education Officer**
16. William Archie -Treasurer**