By Prior Beharry
CANDIDATE in the upcoming national executive elections for the United National Congress (UNC) Ramona Ramdial wants to change the party from being a “last-minute one.”
She is contesting for the post of election officer against the incumbent Don Sylvester of the Star Team.
It is a position that Ramdial has served in between 2010 to 2015 when the UNC was in office under incumbent political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
In an interview with AZP News on Saturday, Ramdial said she wanted to make a change within the national executive of the party.
Internal elections are on June 26.
She said, “I don’t think there is any sort of teamwork or any sort of plan going into the local government election as yet and I firmly believe that we can’t continue being a last-minute party we need to plan way beforehand and start working way beforehand.”
Ramdial served in the natex previously which she said has made her a competent candidate for the job. She said she was not only election officer but also director of the UNC’s academy.
She said, “During that time I was able to help grow the party membership to train our youths in politics and to do a number of things on the ground that would have sought the expansion and the development of the UNC.
“One of that was preparing the party for national elections. I think I am very competent to the position, I think that I can do a lot I can serve and help rebuild and rejuvenate the party at this time because that is exactly what the UNC needs.”
In the last internal elections, she had contested unsuccessfully the post of deputy political leader teaming up with Vasant Bharath under the Lotus banner. This time Dr Fuad Khan is challenging Persad-Bissessar for the post of political leader.
Ramona said a lot needs to be done within the party in getting it ready for upcoming local and general elections. She noted that an election officer plays a crucial role in these matters.
She said she planned to campaign on social media and do a series of vlogs and have cottage meetings in UNC-held constituencies from early next week.
Ramona said, “I think I can win the position because as much as Don Sylvester (has done) who is the incumbent and is my very good friend, I don’t think anything much has been done on the natex with respect to the entire natex with rebuilding the party.
“There are calls and complaints on the ground that people can’t make membership they have not been able to get their membership cards, some for a number of years, some for a number of months, some when they go to sign up for membership they have not been given their registration numbers as yet so that is a huge issue.”
