United National Congress - Opposition Again

Opposition Again

At the last legislative elections, 7 October 2002, the party won 46.5% of popular votes and 16 out of 36 seats in the House of Representatives. This made it the opposition in parliament to the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) government, which held the other 20 seats.

In April 2005 the UNC was further weakened when Pointe-à-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky and San Juan MP Fuad Khan declared themselves to be "independent UNC members" and relocated to the Opposition backbenches. On 31 May 2005, Basdeo Panday, together with his wife Oma, former UNC MP Carlos John and party financier Ishwar Galbaransingh were arrested for bribery. Basdeo Panday refused bail and remained in prison for eight days.

On 2 September 2005, Panday announced that he would be willing to hand over party leadership to Winston Dookeran (St. Augustine M.P.) if Panday could remain on as party chairman .As a result of negotiations between the two, Dookeran was nominated unopposed for the post of Political Leader and Panday was nominated unopposed for the party Chairmanship. However, both fielded rival slates for the remaining 16 executive posts. (The party had reorganized itself, reducing the executive from 25 to 18 posts, but also splitting the deputy leadership into three.)

On 2 October, Basdeo Panday's slate won 12 of the posts including two of the three deputy leader positions and (after a recount) the vice-chairmanship. Dookeran's slate won the 4 remaining posts. Members of the slate backed by Dookeran have called for Basdeo Panday to step down as Leader of the Opposition. Gerald Yetming, MP for St. Joseph joined the Opposition back benches in protest of Basdeo Panday's failure to relinquish the position of Leader of the Opposition.

In February 2006 Panday announced that he had reconciled with Ramesh Maharaj. Maharaj was to mark his return to the party by speaking at a party rally held at Mid-Centre Mall in Chaguanas on 19 February. At that rally Dookeran, who spoke before Maharaj, criticized his party for accepting Maharaj back in. Dookeran was roundly booed by the crowd.

On 8 March 2006, Yetming announced he was formally leaving the UNC and would serve out his term as an Independent. His chief reason was the return of Maharaj to the UNC, a move which he opposed but which was endorsed by Basdeo Panday.

As internal wranglings continued in the party it appeared that a rift between Dookeran and the Executive was deepening. Newspaper accounts indicated that pro-Panday executive and Dookeran were largely functioning independently of each other. Dookeran also suffered a loss of support as Deputy Leader Jack Warner and Roodal Moonilal (MP for Oropouche), switched sides and announced their support of Panday.

In March Senator Robin Montano had his appointment as Senator revoked by Panday. Montano had both supported Dookeran and opposed the return of Ramesh Maharaj to the UNC.

On the 24 April Basdeo Panday was convicted of fraud for failing to disclose a bank account under the rules of the Integrity Act. He was sentenced to 2 years hard labour. At the UNC rally held that night Dookeran was not permitted to speak on the platform. Maharaj, however was seated centre stage at that rally.

On the 25 April Basdeo Panday's appointment as Opposition Leader was revoked by President Richards. On 26 April in a surprise move seven UNC MPs announced their support of Deputy Political Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar as the new Opposition Leader. On 27 April Persad-Bissessar was appointed Opposition Leader and she stated that she would step aside should Panday's appeal prove successful.

The Courts released Basdeo Panday on bail on Friday 28 April, on the ground of his medical ailments. Following his release on bail, he tendered his resignation as Chairman of the party on 1 May 2006. However, the UNC executive have thus far refused to accept his resignation.

In the months following, the infighting in the UNC increased. Political Leader Dookeran and the party Executive entrenched their opposing positions. Dookeran organised his own personal political apparatus and held political meetings without the Executive's consent. He also ceased to attend Executive meeting. His few allies on the executive were removed. Opposition Leader Persad-Bissessar also replaced Dookeran's supporters in the appointed Senate.

In August 2006 however Panday returned to active politics and in a public display attempted to broker a reconciliation between the two factions. This proved fruitless. Many people in the country including members of Mr. Panday's own support team privately shared the view that it was Mr. Panday who worked behind the scene to undermine Mr. Dookeran's support within the Executive of the UNC. Mr Dookeran who was the actual and legitimate Political Leader of the UNC should have the full powers that accompanies that position as articulated in the Party's Constitution.However, Mr. Dookeran's call for internal change within the UNC had a negative effect on some of the 'old guards' who felt their own position threatened. Panday and the Executive spoke about a collective leadership concept, but the culture of the UNC with Mr. Panday was opposed to that claim.

The UNC was split into two factions, with the Panday loyalists organised into a five member Leadership Council. The Leadership Council was composed of the three Deputy Leaders (Persad -Bissessar, Wade Mark, Jack Warner), the Party CEO Tim Gopeesingh and newly returned Ramesh L. Maharaj. Panday was said to have been appointed as an advisor to the Council.

On 10 September at a large rally, Dookeran announced his resignation as UNC Political Leader and the formation of a new party the Congress of the People, under his leadership. On 11 September Panday resumed the Chairmanship of the party.

On 3 January 2007 Panday was reinstated as Political leader of the party.

In the 5 November 2007 parliamentary elections, the party won 29.73% and 15 out of 41 seats.