Dookeran was UNC member since 2002

he distinctly recalled signing up with the party. "Mr Sadiq Baksh was in charge at the time and he called me (then) and told me that everything was in order. That is what I remember," he said.

Asked whether the controversy over his membership was a last minute desperate attempt to influence the polls, Dookeran said he didn’t think he needed to comment on that. Scrutiny was an important part of public life and people were fully entitled to scrutinise, he said.

On the election campaign, Dookeran said two groups had put up themselves for posts on the party’s Executive. He said once the election was over, everyone in the party had to start doing what was necessary to transform it and prepare it for the next general elections so that it could appeal to the country.

Dookeran said he did not see an internal party election as a divisive issue. "Obviously some individuals did not like what happened in certain places. But I didn’t see that at all at the level of the membership," he said. Dookeran said Trinidad and Tobago was the first Caribbean country to have an internal election take place under the conditions that the UNC poll did. "This was an open, transparent poll," he added.

In response to a question, Dookeran said it would be a "very big task" for the UNC to prepare itself for a December (2005) general elections. But, he said, the UNC as a major party, had to do all that was required to be prepared for an election at any time.

Dookeran conceded that that there was a huge gap between the UNC’s financial membership — which was about 25,000 and the close to 300,000 electors who voted for the party in the last general elections. "That is something I have asked myself about. And I have wondered whether we have the intensity within the party to get a better feel of the entire UNC electorate. It is a limitation," he said.

On yesterday’s polling day operations, Dookeran said he was very impressed with the organisation. He added that the system that was in place seemed to be working fairly well. He said both the feedback and the turnout had been positive.

On assuming the post of Political Leader (which he does from today) Dookeran said he felt a sense of great responsibility and gratitude to the people of the UNC for offering him the opportunity to be of real service to this country.

He said that once the political will of the people was expressed and determined, he would be willing to work as Political Leader with whomever they elected.