Kamla: Executive controls UNC

“He cannot function by himself,” said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, referring to political leader Winston Dookeran.

She made this point clear to the audience at the Monday night forum of the party held at Freeport Presbyterian School, under the chairmanship of Dr Suruj Rambachan, mayor of Chaguanas.

Persad-Bissessar made the comment about Dookeran who has not attended meetings of the executive and has held his own walkabouts and cottage meetings, prompting the executive to claim he has formed a parallel organisation.

“I am not misleading people. The constitution of the UNC states that the national executive of the party will be the body that will choose the candidates for the local and general elections. It is not the political leader as he cannot act alone. He is a member of the executive,” said Persad-Bissessar.

She explained the screening committee would make recommendation to the executive whose members decide on the final candidates.

“Others are saying that we are misleading the people but in a democracy one man should not be able to choose candidates for an election. And that is why we placed that decision in the hands of the national executive.”

On Saturday, the executive heads to Farm Road, St Joseph near WASA for a meeting in the St Joseph constituency, the first of a series across the country, Persad-Bissessar disclosed.

On July 6, there will be a public consultation at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. That meeting begins at 6.30 pm. See page 18A