Caption: UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar supports the Star Team during internal elections. Photo: Facebook
By Sue-Ann Wayow
POLITICAL leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Kamla Persad-Bissessar is inviting UNC Member of Parliament for Cumuto/Manzanilla Dr Rai Ragbir to explain why he voted with the government last Friday.
She said he will be given the opportunity to fully explain his actions that shocked both Government and Opposition when he voted for the Whistleblower Protection Bill, 2022 in Parliament.
On Monday night during the UNC’s Monday night forum at its headquaters in Chaguanas, Persad-Bissessar showed a clip of Dr Ragbir laughing with the People’s National Movement (PNM) following the vote paying attention to his “thumbs up” signal to the government.
Monday night was also when the UNC sworn in its new national executive members, all of whom were from Persad-Bissessar’s STAR slate, many of them returning of them returning to their original position.
Persad-Bissessar said, “The Natex has only been sworn in tonight so we haven’t caucused on the matter. There are processes outlined within the party’s constitution which will attend to this matter.”
She said, “MP Ragbir must be afforded the due process and this will be done fairly according to our constitution. He’ll be afforded an opportunity to be heard and account for his actions. That’s the process under our constitution, there’s no backward and forward, no bickering or bacchanal. The constitution provides for what happens in situations like this.”
Persad-Bissessar referred to Dr Ragbir’s contesting the recently concluded UNC internal election under the opposing slate – the United Patriots in which he vied for a position of deputy political leader and lost.
“If his actions were an attempt to provoke me and the new UNC Natex into engaging in some type of bacchanal and internecine war, then his actions were mistaken. If this is supposed to be the launchpad for another Team Unity or RamjackG type bacchanal, just like those, it will go nowhere. The party has voted in a democratic election and is now focused on general elections.”
Dr Ragbir, after his vote, issued a statement saying he had no regrets in voting for the bill.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also commented on Dr Ragbir’s vote during the PNM’s Sports and Family Day last Saturday.
Speaking about the passage of the bill in the Lower House, Dr Rowley said, “We did not walk alone. A member from Cumuto/Manzanilla walked with the PNM in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago
Persad-Bissessar called on all members of the UNC to put aside their differences and work together for betterment of country.
“I have no interest in engaging in any bacchanal with anyone,” she said.
According to Persad-Bissessar, she said her STAR slate received 77 per cent of the vote while the other slate received 23 per cent which showed a maintained confidence in her leadership.
She told members that nothing was wrong with feeling hurt and angry following the results and such members must now chart their way forward in the party.
“It’s up to each individual to determine their way forward… It’s not up to me, to decide. Their future is in their hands. It’s how they conduct themselves after the election will determine the way forward.”
However she said, she had a serious problem with persons invoking God, morals, values and ‘country-first’ narratives.
Persad-Bissessar said, “It’s become a tradition that whenever persons cannot get anything more from the party, they suddenly find God, morals, values and love for country.”
