Moonilal, who is one of three Deputy Leaders of the party, was responding to Panday's support for a group of young people in the UNC that calls itself Generation Next.
"It is regrettable that at his age, he is leading young people to commit political suicide. These people have potential and yet he is taking young people and destroying their political careers," Moonilal said.
"There is a psychological condition called cognitive dissonance in which you cannot accept reality. I believe Mr Panday is in this state, but we wish him and his team well,” Moonilal said.
He told local media the group should be more appropriately called Generation "Vex" because "everyone on the Panday slate has personal grouses with the People’s Partnership."
Two years ago Moonilal ran as a member of Panday's team against the slate of the present leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and was the only member of Panday's team to win. He then joined Persad-Bissessar and helped unite the party and the opposition in time for the general election.
Panday is not running for any post in the March 24 election for officers of the national executive. However he has been advising the group, claiming that he is defending the party and making sure that the election is free and fair.
Moonilal and another Deputy Leader, Suruj Rambachan, and standing for re-election. However the third incumbent, Senate Vice President Lyndira Oudit, is contesting the post of Vice Chairman, currently held by Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan. She will face competition from Khadija Ameen, chairperson of the Tunapuna/Piarco RegionalCorporation.
Khan is running for one of the Deputy Leader positions as is Justice Minister Herbert Volney. That is a crowded spot on the ballot with 11 names, including activist Sunil Ramjitsingh, who is heading his personal slate called UNC Soldiers.
Others include former Chaguanas Mayor Natasha Navas, Elizabeth Ali-Mohammed, Sookram Ali, Rajkumar Dudnath, as well as James Mohammed, Affifah Mohammed and Shavitta Lochan from the Generation Next slate backed by Panday.
Khan had been reluctant to run again but said his supporters convinced him to look to the deputy leadership as a new challenge.
“The vice-chairmanship is a position where I learned how to chair meetings. Jack Warner taught me well and now I think it would be nice to get some experience at the level of deputy political leader because it’s another office that carries a lot of experience where the UNC constitution and party building are concerned,” he added.
Moonilal dismissed Panday's claim of a rigged election as the former leader's "exit strategy". He said if Panday has evidence he should present it. However he suggested that the complaint is more of a plan to explain his loss. "He is trying to explain what will be a massive defeat. Mr Panday knows that in politics you are never defeated, you are cheated.”
Moonilal also rejected Ramjitsingh’s proposal to postpone the elections. However he said it's OK for candidates to have observer status.
“All candidates should have a right to represent, monitor and inspect boxes,” Moonilal said.
Nominations close on Sunday for the election. The political leader has said everyone who is qualified is free to run because the UNC believes in democracy. She is the only person who ever challenged Panday for the leadership; she won a landslide against the party's founder two years ago.
She has said she is neither presenting a slate nor supporting or endorsing any candidate.
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