CUMUTO/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir says he has no problem giving up politics and returning to life as a private citizen because of what he says he has experienced in the UNC over the last five years.

He promised to continue to serve his constituents with dignity until his term ends with the calling of this year's general election.

Ragbir lamented what he viewed as the decline of the UNC under party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar from 2010 to now.

In a WhatsApp comment sent to Newsday on February 18, Ragbir said, "I will continue to serve my constituents faithfully and dutifully and with dignity until my term is up."

This will happen when Parliament is dissolved some time this year and the election is called.

Ragbir, a doctor by profession, said he has no difficulty in leaving politics and becoming an ordinary citizen again.

"If leaving politics means escaping the bizarre circus that Kamla has turned our once-great party into – and actually making a difference elsewhere – then I have no problem with that."

He expressed regret over what he sees as the UNC's decline under Persad-Bissessar.

"The UNC leader has made it clear that she does not care about the concerns of party members and supporters who want to see a stronger, more viable UNC."

He repeated that Persad-Bissessar's only concerns "involve blindly defending her poor leadership."

"I have no interest in remaining in a party where loyalty to one person matters more than competence and country."

Ragbir was scheduled to appear before the UNC's screening committee, chaired by Persad-Bissessar, in Chaguanas on February 14.

But in a statement on February 13, Ragbir said he would not participate because he could not align himself with "a party that has abandoned its principles, rewards, mediocrity, shields those accused of wrongdoing, and punishes integrity."

He cited Persad-Bissessar's claims of a racist political plot in relation to issues raised in an ongoing legal matter with the Estate Management Business Development Company (EMBD).On February 14, Persad-Bissessar said it was no something "that law-enforcement authorities have brought to the courts. This is a civil matter that was brought to court by the Rowley hand-picked EMBD board and drafted by hand-picked PNM lawyers.

“It’s a propaganda piece to attack the UNC as ‘all them thieving Indians.’"

Persad-Bissessar repeated claims the PNM had historically used racial narratives to discredit UNC and its supporters.

On February 11, the EMBD filed new allegations against former housing minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, several contractors, and former executives in a multi-million-dollar cartel claim lawsuit brought against them by the state-owned company.

At a status hearing on that day, Justice Frank Seepersad was told the EMBD had filed an amended statement of case significantly expanding the claims against the defendants.

The amended lawsuit now alleges that Moonilal acted as a “shadow director” of EMBD, with senior management accustomed to taking instructions from him on the award