Lalla: Kamla has 'no leadership clothes'

ATTORNEY Larry Lalla, who fought unsuccessfully for the post of chairman of the United National Congress (UNC), has said he is a proud loser.

Unlike the leader of Team Lotus, Vasant Bharath, Lalla refused to congratulate incumbent leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Sunday’s victory in the party's internal elections.

This was the second time Lalla had fought on a slate opposed to Persad-Bissessar.

He added his lengthy comments to a post by former UNC minister Dr Suruj Rambachan, who briefly congratulated the winners and added that there was no shame in defeat, but when "you cannot stand up for what you believe to be a just cause.

Rambachan, who supported Bharath's losing team, commended all who fought on the courage of their convictions, but was concerned the party could not attract more members to vote.

“If out of the 115,000 registered members at least 50 per cent do not vote, what does it say about the membership feelings towards the party as presently constituted?” he asked.

Lalla had a lot more to say.

“I wear my loss as a badge of honour because each time I have had the courage and conviction to do what many big men and women in the party have been afraid to do, that is, stand up to the failed leader and say to her, 'You are a failure and you have to go,'" he wrote.

“I refuse to congratulate Kamla Persad-Bissessar, because congratulations are reserved for commendation when someone does something admirable. What she has done, again, cannot be considered as admirable by any right-thinking person who has the interest and future of the UNC at heart.”

Lalla noted that change is never easy and always requires people who are independent, who have some courage and who believe in what is just and right, to stand up to those who control by oppression.

“Like the little boy was courageous who stood up and said 'The Emperor has no clothes.'

“Kamla Persad-Bissessar has no leadership clothes, but is perhaps the most cunning creature on earth, to be able to exercise total control over the UNC the way she does.

“I will live to fight another day when hopefully there will be more men and women like I was privileged and honoured to fight with in Team Loyalists (Dr Roodal Moonilal's 2015 slate) and Team Lotus who are prepared to stand up and say 'The Emperor has no (leadership) clothes!'"

Lalla said the reason leaders in civilised countries and political systems step down after an election loss is to allow the party to breathe and for a new leader to take control.

“In the UNC, the failed leader has total control over all party functionaries. Every MP, Senator, alderman, councillor, MP office staff and party executive member is under the total control of the failed leader, because they owe their holding of office solely to the grace of the failed leader.

"The holders of these offices are either happy with the 'perks' of opposition or are too afraid of her power and total control over the party to attempt to remove the failed leader,” he said.

Despite Persad-Bissessar’s repeated failure at the polls, including what many believed was a winnable general election in 2020, he said, “Kamla refused to step down and allow her party to breathe and to democratically elect a new leader.”

Instead, he said she has used her absolute control over all party functionaries to appoint the election committee, and have all elected and selected members from the Parliament straight down to the constituency executive endorse her and have some run the election.”