Rushton Paray says his call for UNC internal elections to be held when they are due were not a knock on the legitimacy of Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s leadership.

Today, he repeated his call for these elections to be called when they are due in June 2024.

And, in a statement, the UNC says the party’s internal elections have not been delayed and it will adhere to its constitution at all times.

It stated “Notably, the UNC’s political leader, nor any other member of the National Executive, has made any public statement in this regard. In fact, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar has stressed that the party will adhere to its constitution at all times, stating, repeatedly in the public domain that: “We remain committed to the party’s constitution and to the laws of the land. We follow the party’s constitution.”

The party also cautioned against members making public declarations against the UNC leader, stating that this only serves to destablise the party.

The UNC leadership election is due in 2025, having last been held in 2022. ” We affirm that members have a right to support whomever they wish for leader, and to contest leadership themselves. However, making public declarations against the constitutionally-elected leader of the UNC, outside of the internal elections process, only serves to destablise the party. We call on these members to cease from engaging in such activities and work together in unity, constitutionally, to defeat the PNM and secure Trinidad and Tobago. ”

Meanwhile, another UNC MP Anita Haynes is supporting the call for internal elections.

She says the UNC’s ability to demonstrate its strength through the execution of the internal processes shows citizens of what they can expect of a responsible and capable UNC government.