Moonilal's Nationalists team holds mass rally in Debe

Incumbents UNC Deputy Leaders Suruj Rambachan and Roodal Moonilal on the same Nationalists team 

Roodal Moonilal's 'Nationalists' will hold a mass political rally outside his constituency office at Debe Junction Wednesday night to introduce members of the slate and to present a case why members should elect them to serve on the national executive (NATEX) of the United National Congress (UNC) for the next two years.

Moonilal's slate is one of three contesting the UNC's election on Saturday.

The others are Generation Next, a group that is advised by former UNC leader Basdeo Panday; and UNC Soldiers, led by activist Sunil Ramjitsingh.

None of the three slates has a candidate for chairman. Jack Warner currently holds that post and is seeking re-election as an independent. He is being challenged by his former researcher, Ahswani Mahabir, and one other candidate, Moonram Heru.

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

1. Dr Roodal Moonilal - 1st Deputy Political Leader**
2. Dr Surujrattan Rambachan - 2nd Deputy Political Leader**
3. Marlene Courdray
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**

Moonilal has told UNC members and supporters of his team that they are free to vote for the chairman of their choice. 

He said he did not ask Warner to be a part of the team because Warner had stated that he wanted to contest the election as an independent. He said he respects Warner's decision.

Warner has said he does not believe in slates. He contested the 2010 election as an independent and decided to do the same on Staurday.

He explained to reporters that a chairman must be able to work with everyone on behalf of the party. 

“If one has a slate and half wins and half loses, how can they work together afterwards? I am prepared to work with anybody who wins. I am chairman for all and not any sectarian interest, not any religious interest, not any racial interest, nobody! I am chairman for all,” he told reporters in Tuesday.

He also expressed confidence in Marlene Courday, a controversial candidate on Moonilal's team. "I know she is an excellent person and we have a good relationship,” Warner said.

Coudray, who is the mayor of San Fernnando, is running on Moonilal's slate for one of the three posts of Deputy Leader. The party has said that she fulfilled all the requirements to run for a post.

However her former party is upset that she has joined the UNC. The Congress of the People (COP) has called the move poaching and described it as "reckless". 

However Coudray has said she moved to the UNC because she felt more comfortable in the UNC, which is the party that nominated her to be mayor following the 2010 local government election.

Courday made it clear that she moved to the UNC of her own free will. "I have not been poached...people must be led by their conscience. My conscience is what led me to UNC,” Coudray told reporters. She added that she did not "drop out of the sky" noting that she brings more than three decades of experience to the party.

“We have to build a strong party...I am here to bring my experience and expertise, in terms of strengthening the party so that the political leader can focus on matters of governance,” she added.

Coudray ran as a candidate for the COP in San Fernando West in the 2007 election but was not selcted to run again in 2010. The party nominated Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, who won the seat. She is currently the Minister of Public Administration in the PP government.

Some UNC supporters are angry that top UNC leaders are supporting Coudray. They say it is unethical for her to get such prominence in the party when her partner, Larry Achang, is a top member of the opposition People's National Movement (PNM).

Achang is a former MP for Point Fortin. He fell out with former PNM leader Patrtick Manning and was replaced in Point Fortin in 2007 and again in 2010 by Paula Gopee-Scoon.

Following the fallout, Manning tried to arbitrarily remove Coudray from her post of Chief Executive Officer of the San Fernando City Corporation. She filed a discrimiantion suit against Manning and won. Her lawyer was Anand Ramlogan, the current Attorney General.