Dookeran to lead UNC in Local Govt elections

POLITICAL LEADER of the United National Congress (UNC) Winston Dookeran has been charged with the responsibility to prepare the party for the Local Government elections. Local Government elections are constitutionally due in July, and the parliamentary arm of the UNC unanimously voted for Dookeran to lead the party into electoral victory yesterday. The decision was taken at the Opposition party’s Rienzi Complex Couva headquarters on Monday evening. The meeting was described as “extremely successful” by one parliamentary representative who said it was well attended by Opposition members of both houses of Parliament. This was the first meeting of the caucus which was chaired by Dookeran since his assumption of the position of Political Leader last October.

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday who had been chairing such meetings, made some opening comments before handing over to Dookeran. Reports from respective corporations on Local Government matters were tabled at the meeting. The reports were debated at length, said UNC Chief Executive Officer Dr Tim Gopeesingh, and parliamentarians were instructed to assist councillors in their work in the run-up to the Local Government elections. The UNC is to establish regional offices as a means of establishing contact with its grassroot supporters. The ruling Peoples’ National Movement has not yet named a date for the elections.

Asked which members would comprise Dookeran’s campaign team, the parliamentarian said that the political leader had not yet decided on the composition of the team. However, he noted that Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma was the party’s Local Government shadow minister. The source pointed out that Sharma would be in the forefront of the elections campaign. The Opposition UNC controls five Regional Corporations — Penal/ Debe Regional Corporation; Princes Town Regional Corporation; Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation; Couva/ Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporation; and the Chaguanas Regional Corporation. The UNC’s national executive meeting takes place today.