Kamla is new UNC boss

Kamla Persad-Bissessar is new UNC Political leader
Kamla Persad-Bissessar is new UNC Political leader

KAMLA IS UNC BOSS newsday.co.tt
Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night won by a landslide to be elected the new UNC political leader, while Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner is the party’s new chairman, displacing Basdeo Panday, who founded the party 20 years ago. Panday was the party’s leader and chairman.

Kamla crushes Bas guardian.co.tt
Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar has put a sound licking on her two rivals to become the new leader of the United National Congress (UNC). In the process, she became the first woman to become the leader of a major political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Although results were trickling in at UNC headquarters at Rienzi Complex, Couva, Persad-Bissessar was clear in the lead in most of the 28 polling stations. Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner was also heading for a landslide victory against St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath.

Ramesh concedes
Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj conceded defeat last night, extending congratulations to Kamla Persad-Bissessar and saying that he hoped she will make good of her plan to take the UNC into government. Speaking at a press conference at St Mary’s Junction in Freeport last night, Maharaj said that the membership had spoken overwhelmingly in favour of Persad-Bissessar, as they had voted for change. Several supporters greeted Maharaj as he walked in to loud applause. In a 15-minute address, he said he looked at the trends of the voting and realised that there was no way possible that he or Basdeo Panday could win the post of political leader. Maharaj said he did not think that his accidental meeting with Panday recently at the office of Kelvin Ramnath had anything to do with his lack of support.

Ready to work with opponents
Excoriated as a weakling incapable of leading and hiding a drinking weakness, Kamla Persad-Bissessar proved last night she had the political strength to beat two political legends.

Jack wins, hails Kamla
Warner thanked Panday for keeping the party alive and said that with the passing of the mantle yesterday, reality will eventually dawn on him. Warner said Panday has been the victim of people close to him who should have advised some time ago that it was time to bow out.

A victory for T&T: Jack
Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner said last night that he was humbled by being elected chairman of the UNC. Speaking at the Chaguanas West constituency office, Warner congratulated Kamla Persad-Bissessar on becoming political leader. “I am happy to have her as my political leader,” he said. “I want to reach out to Mr Panday, to tell him that the party he led for the past 20 years will today begin the process of getting back into government. “I would like to thank Mr Panday for what he has done to keep the party alive for the last 20 years.” Warner defeated St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath for the post of chairman.

It’s not over, says Panday
Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday hinted last night that action may be taken by his supporters challenging the results of yesterday’s internal elections.

Cries of rigging as voters turned away

Stalwarts turned away
Lifetime members of the United National Congress (UNC) were among several hundred people who left some of the party’s polling stations angry and frustrated during its crucial internal elections yesterday as they were not allowed to vote.

MP Nizam Baksh blanked from voting

Weaknesses in UNC machinery
CHAIRMAN of the United National Congress (UNC) internal elections committee Kemchand Ramdath yesterday described the omission of MP Nizam Baksh’s name from the party’s internal electoral list as “very strange”, as he last night admitted to weaknesses in the party’s election machinery.

Dookeran: Time to move forward
Congress of the People political leader Winston Dookeran said last night, now that Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar has become the elected political leader of the Opposition party, ‘The nation must now grasp the opportunity to move forward.’

Kamla’s challenges
The victory of Kamla Persad-Bissessar for political leader in the internal elections of the United National Congress is historic on two counts. One, it is the first time that an internal challenger has unseated the incumbent leader of a major political party in Trinidad and Tobago; and, two, it is the first time a woman has been elected the leader of any existing political party, major or minor, in the country.

20 thoughts on “Kamla is new UNC boss”

  1. Congrats to The new UNC leader Ms. Kamala.
    I will like to express that if mr. Pandy try to instigate a way to keep him self in power as leader of the UNC , I will never vote UNC again!!!
    the people say KAMALA… and if we dont have KAMALA as leader of d UNC we dont want the UNC

  2. i am a panday supporter and a realistic one ,i see the need for change but just like the us u.s.a they are paying the price for it with each passing day , let see if the unc pays or not, good luck to the new political leader

    1. are you saying that because Panday is no longer leader of the UNC we would pay the price for that? I am lost. Panday has been a burden to the supporters of the opposing parties, he has not done anything to regain the support of those who have lost confidence in his leadership, he has continued to redicule everyone and try to justify this by saying he “must tell the truth” well he should have told us the truth, before this election, because its he who would have welcomed those he today redicule into the party, This type of dotish tribal politics must stop, That generation of electors have long died.

  3. tell Panday that I have just finished feeding the horse, gave him water and put on a new set of shoes, and the sun is about to set, so he could lace up his boots and start to ride, tell him doh forget Oma eh, he might want to blame the poor lady for his defeat.

  4. Please ramps, let us treat the lady with dignity. I think she has made maybe one political comment in her life, that was the time when she talked about Hindu wives and money management. Wives suffer a lot. Wives of politicians suffer to the 3rd power. Let us hope she moves to London to enjoy that nice flat, and the good medical care.If she stays in TnT she might find herself the object of booing, which would be so unseemly.
    Go in peace, Oma, go in peace.

  5. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Kamla and Bas are from the same stock, sharing a shameful heritage of racism, casteism, nepotism, idolatry and treachery. We do not need another Prime Minister from this tainted gene pool. We do not need the Black Hole of Calcutta in our sweet T&T.

  6. A true statesman is one who exhibits respect, tolerance, humility and sterling qualities of leadership. Panday has not demonstrated the above. I’ve met this man in person and the first thought that came into my mind was–this man evidently suffers from delusions of grandeur. He needs to be professionally treated for such and attendant problems or he may lose his mind altogether.
    The above is not written to humiliate Panday but to help him to retire in peace. The fact that his ‘blind’ advisors spurred him on during his escapade of madness is even more frightening. He has also embarrassed himself as a self-professed Hindu by publicly’washing his mouth’ on Kamla. Indeed, time and tide will catch up with him for these sins against humanity.
    I often wonder how can people allow such persons as Panday and Manning to be at the helm for so long making repetitive mistakes and plunging fellow Trinbagoinians in an abyss of dictatorship. Trinidad and Tobago is at the crossroads of its socio-political path. These two dictators must be removed forever or we could see ‘anarchy’ in this once great land. Good luck to Kamla as she makes the giant leap into Prime Ministership with God’s help and blessings. Viva Kamla!

  7. Austin you are a FOOL, that’s all, you are a big FOOL, this is the 21st century and you talking about calcutta shame on you it is people like you whose children goes to shool with my children and cause us so much problems or make the job of parenting seems hard, goodbye FOOL.

  8. Well, well, poor me , for both Austin and Raja have me all confused . Just as I was about to hitch a ride on the garter-belt or better yet, petticoat of Madame Kamela our new political savior.
    One is saying ,one leader is wounded and hopefully would disappear out of the political limelight forever , but now is ‘same kaki pants/ business as usual,’ with respect to his replacement.
    As he gives praise on this Hilary like new female leadership mantra , the other has raised the hopes of abused , barefoot , and always pregnant struggling Indo Trini women ,as well as those of their thousands of neglected kinky head Afro Trini counterparts stuck in crack infested , gang laden neighborhoods across the nation.
    Does she Kamela have what it takes to do what it takes to elevate the social plights of these women whose conditions both Panday and Manning tacitly help to create ? No one seem to really know the answer, but it never hurt to hope.

  9. Until woman are safe by themselves in TNT, she nor any other leader will be able to seriously elevate their social plights.

  10. Just so you know, guys, women are not safe by themselves anywhere in the world, and never were. Some societies go a bit further in protecting women than others.Some allow women to drive, so they could be free to go where they please, some allow them to be as educated as they want, some do not pressure them to marry and have children, and some, within marriage, allow them to own independent property. Some allow patrimony- a man being supported by his better off wife after a divorce. In some countries, they can run for and hold public office.They can join the Defence Force in many countries. Sweden mandates that 33% of its legislature be women. In the US and some other parts of the Anglican Communion, women can be clergy and bishops. The Anglican Church of the USA(called the Episcopal Church) is led by a woman, The Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori.There is, however, a great deal of work left to be done, in TnT and elsewhere.Few women comment on these posts, too busy picking rice, chnging diapers or peling potatoes?

    There is the need for ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD to do more to achieve full equality for women.

  11. I would say that woman in the United States are reasonably safe. There they do anything and everything men do without reasonable fear. Of course Domestic violence is something different altogether. Government can’t be everywhere at once. However, the attitudes towards woman overall are different. We all know that that didn’t happen overnight nor will happen overnight in Trinidad and Tobago.

  12. Neal/Curtis:You are apparently not in touch with American women. This COUNTRY(USA) is safer than most, for all people. Women are people, but not even an eighty year old is safe from rape, as the news reported yesterday, nor is a three year old child. EVERY major shopping center(USA) is equipped with security cameras to monitor parking lots, and still, women are savaged, kidnapped, murdered.MAjor street corners, in major cities are equipped with security cameras. One notorious case was of a bank manager, murdered at her desk, by an enraged, estranged husband. Women of the world are not immune from that, nor from the kind of mud slinging from political platforms that men do. Example: John Edwards , former democratic candidate for President, has finally admitted having a child with a former staffer. After he quit politics, that is. His career as a successful lawyer seems untouched. The woman in Irish politics, Mrs. Robinson,(Aged 66) who had an affair with a nineteen year old man-child, lost her career; and her husband, the horned one, had to step down also.
    Now, as for Kamla, does she hope to unify Trinidad by speaking Hindi? And does the aparent annointing of the Party Chairman, Jack Warner, by the Indian High Commissioner have any significance? Both actions seem to be saying to the populace that Trinidad and Tobago is about to become a satellite state of India. May God save us. We are NOT the Andaman Islands!Sri Lanka! or Fiji!

  13. “Now, as for Kamla, does she hope to unify Trinidad by speaking Hindi? And does the aparent annointing of the Party Chairman, Jack Warner, by the Indian High Commissioner have any significance? Both actions seem to be saying to the populace that Trinidad and Tobago is about to become a satellite state of India. May God save us. We are NOT the Andaman Islands!Sri Lanka! or Fiji!”
    THIS sort of prejudical fear mongering no longer works in T&T. The people who live in T&T are quite comfortable with their circumstances.
    It seems that expats of a certain lost generation who sometimes frequent this site still believe the ancient stereotypes of the 1930s which characterize Indians as “poor, mean, rural,heathen,ethnically exclusive and illiterate”.
    The ability to speak multiple languages is an asset not a liability.

  14. Can anyone explain to innocent me why Ms L , would want in the name of Buddha, Jehovah, Allah, Krishna , a million and one black skin , blue eyed African sun gods, and a myriad of Haitians colorful Voodoo Dolls ,to drag me into this neo feminist issue ? Can you tell her that I have absolutely no interest in the real subject of pristine ,protected lives of white women, especially if it ignores the multitude of black ,brown , yellow and other in between shades ,still forced to live second class ,fearful ,dehumanizing lives.
    If you feel that the USA is the safest place on the planet ,due to a preponderance of electronic cameras , who am I to question that? It seems that in gun loving Texas your tax dollars are well spent, as everyone has a gun from the 99 year old Alzheimer geriatric, to the toddler still in pampers , and cutting his first tooth.
    As such , you guys of a darker hue can keep the terrorist KKK from planting burning crosses on your front lawns, and defend abortion clinic doctors ,that are trying to abide by the law and help 14 year old promiscuous girls from getting pregnant , and the 18 year old fatherless ones from delivering unwanted babies.
    Ain’t it fun to see some of the usual opportunistic media whores jump on planes and hop across the globe so as to decry the lives of girls and women they think are in distress at the hands of sadistic males, but unwilling to talk about similar maladies close to home in the global North?
    Speaking about safe , are Utah Mormons , or Texan Branch Dividian girls safe when they are turned into sex slaves and child brides to their uncles and first cousins by age 13 in America without even an investigative story taking place until it is too late? I have no idea, AS WELL.
    Chicago is the home state of South African loving Oprah ,and our change agent ,idealist President, along with his elite wife. It has emerged as the murder capital of America , so are these women that are terrorized by gang bangers , the result of poverty and neglect any safer?
    How safe is that young inner city black male that stands a greater chance of being shot , arrested , or locked up by a racist cop , as opposed to graduating from an American high school ?
    We folks versed in the new age jargons of International Affairs choose to therefore use the term ‘human security,’ when referring to matters of the day that affects people, but would not limit it narrowly to pro feminist skewed discriminatory agendas.
    Wait a cotton picking minute,I say! Was it not that man hating group NOW that had a certain 1990 to 97 President that would sleep with her husband on Monday and Tuesday , then trot off to her lesbian lover for the rest of the week, while touting the feminist mantra that ‘all consenting sex between a man and a woman is rape?’ Now who it is that placed her kids at risk , as she won a famous custody battle back then?
    You see why I did not care to touch these subject wioth a 10 feet pole Ms. L?
    There just is too much elitist ‘mamby pamby,’ jig and dance phoniness, involved.
    In bride burning havens of India and Pakistan , all of the Middle East and Africa where this stupid dowry business still thrive it is the women that are at the forefront.
    In South East Asia , an to d parts of the far East from Thailand to Cambodia, Vietnam , Philippines, and even China child prostitution is almost a way of life as countless women would sell their daughters into slavery without even a second thought then offer gift to Buddha absolves them from wrongs . Yet gullible western tourist and media that benefit from sweet innocence , never utter a word.
    All that African, pro Arab barbaric genital mutilations , it is women leading the charge, but do not expect to hear a single utterance from grant hungry western educated academics, and NGOs . Talk to me instead Ms.L, about incest,rape , and physical violence in Picton,Couva , Betham and most of Central slums. Let’s give these frosty ,scorned ,sex depraved white American political wives such as Elizabeth Edwards, Jenney Sandford, Hilary Clinton, Jacquelyn Kennedy, Dina Matos Mc Greevey, and Silda Spitzer a rest, as they too tried to fool the kids , voters, and us the enamored ,that they thought that their spouses were the greatest , and the marriages were splendid, for we know otherwise. How can it be fun to have sex once a year,either on Thanks giving , or to celebrate a pay raise and promotion, and shout love and happiness with a straight face?
    Now back to Trinidad , where my heart is more barefoot, pregnant and selling corn by the highway , kick and cuff and daily trips to the insensitive police. Mothers left to take care of 8 hungry kids , and insensitive courts unable to secure timely alimony payments , that is something your President Manning or PM Kamela , and Opposition leader Mickila would need some help with, agreed?Darn , I told them our high end elite global Trinis tend to get bored quite easily , and this Haitian and UNC thing was becoming quite a drag. I don’t however becoming the whipping boy here Ms. L , and the avenue for yours and others catharsis.Got to take care of those latent demons , eh?
    I wish you well.

  15. When it comes to rape, I don’t know what any government could do to stop it. In the U.S., women walk around doing anything and everything that men do. The security cameras at shopping centers aren’t just in place for women. They are for the elderly whom are also targeted. Children can be targeted as well. There is a certain level of sickness amongst people that exist everywhere in the world. Government can’t legislate that but only detain a person for committing predatory crimes for extensive amounts of time. Would you like the government o assign an armed guard for every woman in the country so that she can say that she has equal rights?
    There is nothing that can save every woman from that sort of crime. However, the possibility of rape in the U.S. is not so strong that women don’t catch cabs by themselves, ride busses by themselves, go to the gym, shopping, book openings, grocery store, night clubs, long scenic drives/ cross country road trips, etc… Woman over all in the U.S. do everything that men do. Rush hour Traffic should be starting where you live. Look around you. I doubt you will find a woman cowering in some corner afraid to go outside because she may be a victim of a sex crime. Most American women know that like any other minority, the chance of being raped is like a racist team of officers lashing ya for nothing. Stuff happens but you don’t let it run your life.
    I’m in better touch with American woman than you think. Perhaps they just feel safe when they are around me.

    TMan- over all you are right, but do you think any leader around the world who addressed the people in a foreign language wouldn’t raise eyebrows, you’re mistaken. In an English speaking society, people like their leaders to speak English, but know that they can speak another.
    If she were speaking at an all Indian function or something then that’s different. If President Obama addressed the U.S. in Spanish tonight, people would be in an uproar.
    People have a reason to fear and distrust who don’t speak their language. It’s called xenophobia. Is it right? Perhaps not, but it’s relatively normal in my opinion. I personally would not like for Trinidad and Tobago to be anything like Guyana. However, the evolution of a nation that is no longer socially in touch with its beginning will evolve.

  16. My apologies Neal, given unreservedly.Because I usually comment on issues rather than personal comments, I was unsure who hAd said what, as I crafted a comment.

    Now, bout that US whipping boy you like to kick: My friend Milton B is about to pass to the ancestors. He is a former Trini policeman who miGrated to Canada, then moved here to the Gulf of Mexico. For the last week, he has needed critical care for an inoperable condition.He will move on from his own home, with 24×7 hospice care. He has a night nurse and a day nurse, provided by his pension as a teacher,ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS, SITTING BY HIS BED. Now, would a Trini teacher, in TnT get this leVEl of service? Point 2: I volunteer with an international student group. In Sept.we recieved a scholar from RuSsia, who is a paraplegic in a motorized wheelchair, so he cannot get around easily. About a month ago, he/we got the metro transport to begin picking him up, and taking him where he needs to go, and take him back home.He was so delighted to be able to go to dinner in a restaurant while permanently confined to a wheelchair,and unable to drive in the US.

    Tell me again, about the progress being made in making our sidewalks friendly towards the physically challenged? The only building I know designed for wheelchairs is the National Library. Thank you, Colin Laird.

    My comment on Kamla’s speech has to do with the official language of TnT.I can voice what others fear may be misunderstood. The priviledge of my years.

    I am a Christian. There are no demons in my life. Exorcised at Baptism. This morning, I read of a mother in Haiti who would not give up, who believed that her children were still alive. I said to my father: “God, if there are people alive still in that rubble, let them be found today.” One fifteen year old girl was found today, 16 days ater the quake, Hitians are mostly Christians too. God is a mighty God.

  17. this is truthfully a party design to have an ever lasting impression on the entire country,Only if it remain focus on its original polices.I think every body in t&t, is ready ,for this on the 24th May 2010. Only hard line,rum & roti followers may think differently. Please,someone help these blind followers to see this bright light that is over this beautiful land.

  18. Dear Mrs. Bissessar,
    I wish you all the best in the up coming elections and i hope that success comes your way.If it does i hope that people with disabilities are not forgotten.May god’s blessings be with you .

    M.D

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