Mayaro MP Rushton Paray said he did not challenge the legitimacy of Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s stewardship.
In a release on Monday morning, he said: “I consider it a responsibility to respond to the widespread comments to my public call for the National Executive election of United National Congress to be held as constitutionally due.
“In particular, even if only for posterity, I must react to those who saw my measured statement as a vociferous attack on the leadership and tenure of the UNC’s Political Leader Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
“I restate my public declaration – adequately reported in the media – that the party’s internal election “must be called when they are due in June 2024.”
“I said that “serious issues of institutional integrity have arisen.”
“I alluded to the fact that the UNC’s membership has not been advised of the scheduled holding of the election for the party’s leadership.
“As a result, members “have a grave concern that there is an attempt by the executive to devalue the UNC’s internal election by suggesting it is not necessary or even needed.”
“My conclusion was prompted by the fact that while there has been no notice of the internal poll, a deadline has been placed for candidate nominations for the general election, which is constitutionally due in 17 months.
“Those concerns have been shared by hundreds of members who have engaged me in recent weeks.
“I did not challenge the legitimacy Ms. Persad-Bissessar’s stewardship, whose electoral term as Political Leader expires in 2025.
He said he was surprised by the responses.
“Of the mass of responses, I was most surprised by the almost identical statements of enduring loyalty to Ms. Persad-Bissessar by some of my colleague Members of Parliament, Councillors and other UNC officials, and the affirmation of “one party, one leader.”
“I referred to my notes and a recording of my media conference to reconfirm that I did not suggest more than one party and a plurality of leaders.
“Instead, I stressed that UNC must be the best version of itself to challenge the bogus PNM Government, which has brought immense hardship to Trinidad and Tobago.
“In nine years, the aimless PNM has devastated our country, with a crime crisis, extensive poverty, breakdown of the health, education and other sectors, destruction of the infrastructure, diminishing of the middle class, and other urgent issues.
“If the PNM retains national office at the next general election, it would be the first time in more than 40 years that it has won three successive national polls.
“The wreckage to our country is too much to contemplate.
“I acknowledge the right of fellow MPs and others to quietly grumble over the National Election issue and then capitulate in the public glare.”
He urged party members to focus on the central issue.
“But I urge all to focus on the central issue. The UNC must re-energise itself among its membership in order to become a mobilised and inspired force against the PNM, which has the benefit of incumbency and hundreds of millions of dollars to toss around.
“The next general election is significant to Trinidad and Tobago’s future. Our nation deserves much better than the catastrophic PNM.
“An important step in achieving that purpose is the timely staging of the UNC’s National Executive election.”