Moonilal says members of his slate free to vote for chairman of their choice

UNC deputy leader Suruj Rambachan and Roodal Moonilal

Roodal Moonilal has said he did not ask Jack Warner to join his slate of candidates for Saturday's internal election of the United National Congress (UNC) because Warner had previously indicated that he wished to run as an independent candidate.

Moonilal is leading one of the three slates in the election for 17 members to the national executive (NATEX) of the UNC. His slate includes fellow deputy leader Suruj Rambachan and several of the incumbents.

One newcomer is San Fernando mayor Marlene Coudray, who filed her nomination papers late Sunday just before the close of nominations. Coudray is a former member of the Congress of the People (COP), one of the members of the governing coalition.

Former UNC leader Basdeo Panday is leading a slate called Generation Next with his daughter, former Oropouche West MP Mickela Panday. Neither is running for a post and their team doesn't have a candidate for chairman.

The third slate is headed by UNC activist Sunil Ramjitsingh. Like the two other slates, Ramjitsingh's UNC Soldiers has not nominated a candidate for the party's chairmanship.

Moonilal explained to reporters that he respects Warner's wishes. "Mr Warner made it clear that he wanted no part of any slate, so I did not feel the need to contact him to join our slate,” he said. However he said members of his slate and supporters are free to vote for a chairman of their choice.

There are three candidates for chairman - Warner, Attorney Ashwani Mahabir and Mooniram Heru. The contest for the post is seen as a straight fight between Warner and Mahabir.

Moonilal has dismissed complaints from Panday's team, which he calls Generation Vex. Panday has complained that his people have been denied access to the revised voters' list.

Moonlal said that's not true. "Some candidates from Generation Vex have come to my office and they had full access to the list,” Moonilal said, adding a prediction about the election. “We will beat them to a frazzle and then we will beat the frazzle."