UNC’s political health deteriorating

THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) should not elect deputy leaders at its National Congress in September because this could cause its political demise. In addition, St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran must not become a UNC deputy leader and the UNC will be lucky if it wins 12 seats in the 2007 general elections. These were some of the findings contained in the latest North American Caribbean Teachers’ Association (NACTA) poll which were released yesterday.

Asked to recommend who should be elected as the UNC’s three deputy leaders when the party holds its convention next month, “over two-thirds of these respondents feel the party should not choose any deputy leaders or hold elections for any other executive positions.” Many of the respondents fear “a serious fall-out in the party similar to what happened in the 2001 internal elections if elections for deputy leaders go ahead.” Dookeran, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Wade Mark and Sadiq Baksh are the preferred choices for UNC deputy leaders. Respondents said the UNC should make every effort to woo politicians from other parties as well as respected professionals, to strengthen the Opposition, because “the party has limited political talent and strategists and it has no future unless it opens up to political forces outside of the UNC.”

Two-thirds of the respondents said the UNC should merge with other opposition forces so that “it can become a contending force for office.” On Basdeo Panday’s leadership of the UNC, 72 percent said the UNC has “no hope” of making a comeback without Panday stepping aside or the party being totally reformed. Respondents predicted that the UNC would be humiliated at the next general election, “sinking to less than a dozen seats.” In addition, 22 percent of respondents said Panday would resign if it were in the party’s interest, while 67 percent said he would not. Of that 67 percent, a significant number of respondents believed Panday “would step aside at the right time to give his supporters a chance at recapturing office.”