UNC moves headquarters again

THE Opposition UNC has relocated its party headquarters from San Fernando to Chaguanas.

In a brief statement on Saturday, the UNC announced that from Sunday its new headquarters is at Building 5, Mulchan Seuchan Street in Chaguanas.

The phone numbers for the UNC at this new address are 636-8145/9923.

The party advised its members and the general public to direct all correspondence to this address and telephone number in 2023.

The UNC's headquarters was previously located at the M Rampersad Building in San Fernando.

The party left its first home at Rienzi Complex, Couva, which it had occupied since the 1990s under the leadership of founder and former prime minister Basdeo Panday, in July 2016.

This happened after the UNC failed to pay a monthly rental fee to the All Trinidad General Workers Union of $25,000.

After briefly occupying another property close to Rienzi Complex, the UNC relocated to the M Rampersad Building in 2021.

The party described the move to this location as being "based on purposeful decisions for the UNC's growth and development."

Earlier this year, the owners of the building decided to relocate their automotive business there to another location. There was no indication at that time as to how this would affect the UNC's tenure at the building, as one of its tenants. There is also a restaurant and bar located there.

UNC officials were unavailable for comment as to whether the new property in Chaguanas was its permanent party headquarters or another rental arrangement until it could find a permanent home.

Former UNC MPs Vasant Bharath, Dr Fuad Khan and Ramona Ramdial found it unfortunate that the party has to relocate its headquarters for a third time.

Bharath recalled a permanent home for the UNC was one of his promises when he unsuccessfully contested the party's internal elections in 2015. He lost to Opposition Leader and former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who has led the party since 2010.

"It always has been, and remains, my view that the constant moving of office is indicative of an organisation in disarray and unsure of its future."

Bharath was not surprised by the UNC's relocation to Chaguanas "as this is in keeping with how the party has been managed and organized over the last 12 years."

Khan viewed the relocation of the UNC's headquarters as indicative of people in the party's leadership who "don't have the skill to do innovative building of party structures."

Ramdial recalled in 2015 there was a committee formed within the UNC that was supposed to be finding ways for the party to establish a permanent headquarters.

"They held numerous fundraisers & not one post was erected anywhere. I am not sure if land was purchased."

She added, "It is a shame though that we don't have a (permanent) home after 34 years of existence."