Second time around for loser Kamla

The country needs the UNC to wake up if we are to have a strong opposition. At the level of our national interest, citizens need to ensure the Government has a “watchdog”. As it stands we are witnessing a weak Partnership with insignificant players fighting for relevance and survival.

The strength of any political party depends heavily on the political leader.

The leader must have the ability to lead, inspire, mobilise and get people greater than themselves around them.

After losing three consecutive elections at every level — local government, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and general — the UNC still voted Persad-Bissessar as political leader.

This recent dismissal of the election petition filed by the UNC, led by Persad-Bissessar, is another loss to the UNC’s credibility.

While I am not a member, I am concerned as a citizen that in this current two-party system we have such a weak opposition.

This stems from the party level and is reflected on the national landscape.

When the People’s National Movement (PNM) lost the general election in 2010, Manning stepped down as political leader to give the party a better chance at resurgence.

The then executive also gave way for a new executive to work with the new political leader.

The process was not flawless and to date the PNM has been able to build the necessary momentum to win all three recent elections with Dr Keith Rowley as leader.

Citizens would like to see some serious restructuring of the UNC from the party level to the Senate. This would provide the necessary balance that the country needs on the national landscape. In this current economic landscape we need the best minds and the highest level of debate on current issues. Persad- Bissessar has to take the lead on this much needed restructuring and although it may not be enough to win the local election it is a start.

The UNC should have explored he option of a new leader after the general election defeat. However, it chose “insanity”, ie, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

Let’s see if Persad- Bissessar can pull two rabbits out of a hat in the upcoming local government and THA elections. Note that this would be the second time the UNC is fighting local government and THA elections with the same leader, after losing them previously under her leadership.

Ronald Huggins St Joseph