UNC leaders fight for supporters

Opposition Leader Persad-Bissessar addressed the party’s Monday night forum in Princes Town. As expected, political leader Winston Dookeran was not present. At this meeting, which was attended by an estimated 150 people, inside the Princes Town Junior Secondary School, was deputy political leader Jack Warner.

Dookeran launched yet another meeting of his own last night at Bonne Aventure Village in Gasparillo. Dookeran has held several well-attended cottage meetings the last being at Duncan Village and Charlieville last week where over 500 people were present at each of these two meetings.

The UNC executive has initiated moves to call Dookeran in to question him on his public meetings. A committee, headed by vice-chairman Vasant Bharat and including UNC CEO Dr Tim Goopeesingh, Chaguanas Mayor Dr Suruj Rambachan and Dr Daphne Phillips, is to compile a report on Dookeran’s actions. The UNC Guaracara Party Group, on Tuesday, issued a statement welcoming Dookeran adding that it was “concerned about the direction the party is heading.”

“We are dissatisfied with the behaviour of some members of the national executive towards the duly elected political leader of the party.”

Addressing the Princes Town meeting, Persad-Bissessar called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to stop the speculation and “ring the bell” for general elections. She said the current controversy involving Chief Justice Sat Sharma and Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls was reminiscent of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s tussle with that country’s judiciary.

“Manning’s manoeuvre is to gain a monopoly on political power in this country,” she said. Also addressing the meeting was Princes Town MP Subhas Panday.