Newsgathering Editor
kejan.haynes@guardian.co.tt
Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally has withdrawn his candidacy for Chaguanas West in the upcoming general election, citing concerns over what he called the United National Congress’ (UNC) increasingly “divisive racial rhetoric as its central message.” He remains a member of the party though.
In a release yesterday, Rambally said the party’s rhetoric would harm both itself and society at large.
For years, he said he has tolerated “unprofessionalism, poor judgement, and internal dysfunction” in the UNC leadership, hoping these issues could be resolved through open dialogue. However, he said when he submitted himself for screening, he did so in good faith.
Unfortunately, Rambally said he believes these problems will remain unaddressed and the party is “traversing a path that can lead it, and our society, to severe harm.” He denounced racism, bigotry and intolerance as a campaign strategy, saying he refused to participate in any effort that “exploits the fears and prejudices of our people for political gain.”
Rambally criticised what he called the “increasingly irresponsible rhetoric” from the UNC leader, warning that it should concern all members of the party’s national executive, MPs, and senators. While he saw many in the party as willing to “sacrifice their dignity and principles in the pursuit of political office,” he said he refuses to do so and is urging the UNC to “abandon this reckless and dangerous approach before irreparable damage is done.”
He described the nation as “at a crossroads” and called for leadership that promoted “unity, responsibility, and vision—not inflammatory rhetoric and racial animosity.” Despite his withdrawal, Rambally expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to serve and said he hoped the UNC could recover from “these self-inflicted wounds.” He thanked the constituents of Chaguanas West, saying he would “always carry them in his heart.”
Rambally’s decision comes days after activist Victor Roberts resigned from the party’s La Brea constituency office and weeks after incumbent MP Rai Ragbir also took a decision not to recontest the Cumuto/Manzanilla seat.
In an immediate response, UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar brushed Rambally’s withdrawal off as “sour grapes over losing the internal election.”
“No one is surprised by this childish orchestrated plan to publicise these resignations every couple days in an attempt to damage the party ahead of the GE to assist the PNM,” Persad-Bissessar said.
“We were well aware of this plan and expect them to continue this ridiculousness. People are too smart to fall that simple-minded trickery.”
Persad-Bissessar accused Rambally and the others who went against her slate in the internal election as having no selfless motive but purely personal ambition.
“Instead of displaying public immaturity, I advise them to sit and consider why the membership of their own party rejected them so overwhelmingly and if they couldn’t get the UNC membership to support them, why would they think national community support them,” she said.
Despite this claim, neither Rambally nor Roberts ever contested for positions in the UNC’s internal elections. Ragbir, however, was a member of Rushton Paray’s United Patriots slate in last year’s internal election.
