St Kitts politician: UNC can only win with Kamla

FORMER St Kitts & Nevis opposition chairman Chelsey Hamilton says the opposition UNC can only win the next general election if incumbent political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar stays at the helm.

Hamilton gave this political endorsement to Persad-Bissessar when he addressed a Divali function at her Siparia constituency office in Penal on October 20.

He told the audience, "I am here to speak on behalf of a friend."

Hamilton said while many people describe Persad-Bissessar in different ways, he sees her as a friend.

He recalled that friendship dated back to July 2009 when the then St Kitts & Nevis government threatened to change electoral boundaries, dissolve parliament and call a general election on the same day.

Hamilton said Persad-Bissessar (then an opposition MP) and Mia Mottley (now Barbados prime minister) answered the call of the then opposition People's Action Movement for help. He added that had that election taken place, it would have set a precedent.

"All oppositions in the Commonwealth and the Caribbean, their goose will be cooked."

Hamilton said Persad-Bissessar and Mottley were successful in getting an injunction from the court in St Kitts & Nevis to stop the government from holding that election. He added that election was held in January 2010.

Hamilton said if late UNC founder Basdeo Panday was the party's "Moses" who led it out of bondage from biblical Egypt, Persad-Bissessar was "Joshua" who will lead it into the "promised land" of government.

While the United States is contemplating breaking the glass ceiling in its presidential elections next month by electing US Vice-President Kamala Harris as its next president, Hamilton said Trinidad and Tobago has "been there, done that."

Hamilton told the audience, "I want you to let her finish the job she started (in 2010-2015) and lead you to the promised land."

He believed the UNC can only win the next election once Persad-Bissessar is it's leader.

"The promised land is yours come next election once Kamla is your leader."

Five UNC MPs – Rushton Paray, Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Dinesh Rambally, Dr Rai Ragbir and Rodney Charles have publicly questioned the ability of Persad-Bissessar to lead the party to victory in the next election which is constitutionally due by August 2025.

By law, the latest date this election can be held is November 2025.

Paray, Haynes-Alleyne and Ragbir unsuccessfully challenged members of a Persad-Bissessar-endorsed slate for posts on the UNC's national executive (natex) in June.

Ragbir is currently facing the threat of disciplinary action from the UNC for voting with the government to pass the Whistleblower Protection Bill in the House of Representatives in June.

Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Rambally, Ragbir and Charles were not invited to an election preparation meeting which Persad-Bissessar chaired at the UNC's headquarters in Chaguanas on September 1.

On September 9, they were reassigned to the lower end of the opposition's front bench in the House.

During the budget debate from October 4-10, Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Ragbir and Rambally took positions in their respective contributions which were viewed as being critical of the UNC.

Rambally said no man or woman would determine when he spoke. Ragbir challenged a claim of fake covid19 vaccines made by Persad-Bissessar. Haynes-Alleyne said an unnamed opposition colleague in the debate criticised bullying but then seemed to act like one.

Paray described his budget contribution as his political "swan song."

Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Rambally and Ragbir have all submitted nominations to the UNC to stand for re-election in their respective constituencies of Mayaro, Tabaquite, Chaguanas West and Cumuto/Manzanilla.

Charles announced last year that he will not stand for re-election as Naparima MP.

After the UNC's internal elections in June, Haynes-Alleyne said none of the MPs on the slate which opposed Persad-Bissessar's endorsed slate were afraid of not being chosen as candidates in the general election because of the positions they took.