Kamla spoke too soon

VASANT BHARATH, former trade minister in the People’s Partnership (PP) government, said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar spoke too soon in saying her party would go it alone to try and win the 2020 general election.

At the United National Congress (UNC) rally on Sunday at Couva, the UNC leader ruled out a coalition with smaller parties against the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), in contrast to the five-party PP coalition she led to power in 2010.

That also included the Congress of the People (COP), the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP) and the National Joint Action Congress (NJAC).

Newsday wondered if she had widely consulted and/or read the ground to suggest smaller parties have little support, for evidence upon which to base her decision. Bharath couldn’t say on either issue, but affirmed the UNC had lost much ground along the East-West Corridor in 2015, even as it stood without its 2010 allies.

“I find it a little strange she would be discounting the role other parties have to play to beat the PNM. If elections are constitutionally due in about two years time, it is a bit early and premature to make hard-and-fast statements, since things in politics are very fluid.

“Who knows what’s around the corner? You don’t want to be caught having to eat your own words, if and when you have to backtrack.” He reiterated such strong statement from her was a little strange.

“You also have to remember that TT is a very diverse country, with people of many different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Unless you can create one organisation that is representative of all of those perspectives, it is very difficult to win. Unless you can attract people from all those groups, you put yourself at a disadvantage.”

“Whether she has done a consultation and realises she doesn’t need anybody else outside of the current UNC, I can’t say. But on the surface it doesn’t look like a very astute statement.”

Bharath replied, “In 2006 the Congress of the People was formed and within a year or less they were able to muster 150,000 votes.

“We have two years before an election. Who knows what will happen between now and then?” This was more so given the widespread disenchantment across TT, he added. “To make a hard-and-fast statement at this early stage may be jumping the gun.”