Kamla, follow example of Rowley

THE EDITOR: If the mark of a good captain is the way he/she best manages dissent in his/her team, then Prime Minister Rowley sets a much higher standard in this important leadership area compared to Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

It is not too late for her to change this.

On diversity and inclusiveness, Dr Rowley rates an A minus in the way he leads his party, while Persad-Bissessar at best gets a C minus.

Despite “raging bull” allegations and difficulties with his alleged current successorship plans, Rowley’s team includes known past “dissenters" such as Amery Browne, Pennelope Beckles and the son of his former "sworn enemy" Patrick Manning. They are now key players on his team. Rowley was a vociferous critic of Manning’s leadership while serving as an MP.

Persad-Bissessar by contrast has alienated all the people with even minor differing views including Basdeo (and now Mickela) Panday, Prakash Ramadhar, maybe Fuad Khan, Vasant Bharath, Ramona Ramdial, Rodger Samuel, Gary Griffith, and most recently the five MPs who opposed her slate.

When, possibly with her tacit support, one of her leading team players called on the party’s membership to “disregard, dismiss and disrespect” the five MPs one gets an idea of the pervasiveness of divisiveness in Persad-Bissessar’s UNC.

In the US, President Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his vice president in 2020 despite her personal political attacks on him during the primaries. Donald Trump selected Vance as his VP, a man who had previously likened him to Hitler. He recently selected Marco Rubio for secretary of state despite previous insults about his “small hands.”

New leader of the UK's Conservative Party selected on her team her opponent for the leadership position.

These examples are lessons in political leadership at the highest levels worldwide.

While Rowley has largely ensured a united PNM with all the synergies involved, Persad-Bissessar has adopted a different approach which promotes absolute loyalty and total obedience, which serve to preserve her opposition leadership for life status, as her detractors would say.

With a united base, overt support from the one per cent and deep inroads into the younger, more educated generation of the UNC base, the PNM seems, unless derailed, on track not to lose.

Of course this can change if the leadership of the UNC adopts a more pragmatic approach.

It is clear that, as punishment, Rushton Paray, Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Rai Ragbir and Dinesh Rambally will not be selected as candidates in the upcoming general election.

This clearly puts Mayaro at risk given Rushton’s popularity in the constituency. Swing voters will be looking on and taking notes. St Joseph Convent alumnae in San Fernando West will not look kindly on Anita’s treatment.

My advice to the four is present yourselves stoically for screening, take the humiliation, insults and disrespect which are sure to come your way.

Do not make it easy for our party to deselect you by saying you voluntarily withdrew your nomination. The party – and the country – still need all four of you and must see first-hand what our party is capable of doing to its own sons and daughters.

By putting yourself up you will be playing your part in ensuring that the UNC at least has a chance; maybe to present the best version of itself to the electorate as its best hope for victory in the next general election.

It is not too late for a redemption song.

RODNEY CHARLES

MP, Naparima