UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo says he is heartened by his predecessor Jack Warner's willingness to contest the next general election. But he added the party has a process whereby it selects candidates for any election.
On October 23, Warner said he was willing to be a UNC candidate in the election, which is constitutionally due by next August, if party political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is open to the idea.
On October 24, Tancoo said, "The population recognizes that the UNC remains the only hope for rescuing this country from the social and economic damage caused by the PNM"
He added, "I am heartened that we are seeing a substantial inflow of persons, including Mr Warner, responding to the political leader's call for those willing to serve at all levels of the party to come forward."
As a disciplined structured party, Tancoo continued, we have a formal process which is well known for candidate selection including completion of a nomination form, assessment, consultation and screening which is open to all members."
He was confident of upward momentum and interest of people working with the UNC to win the next election.
Princes Town MP Barry Padarath agreed with Tancoo.
"The party has a process."
Padarath was elected party organiser in the UNC's internal elections in June.
He said as a member of the UNC's natex, this was not a matter for him solely "to decide or pronounce on."
Before last August's local government elections, Warner said he had put his differences with Persad-Bissessar aside to join her and former national security minister Gary Griffith in a UNC-NTA (National Transformation Alliance) coalition to contest those elections which ended in a 7-7 tie between the UNC and the PNM.
Warner was Chaguanas West MP from 2007- 2013.
On the possibility of Warner running for a seat again, Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally said, "Mr Warner, like anyone else, is free to throw his hat in the ring. In the present UNC dispensation, it’s entirely up to the leader."
Rambally is one of five UNC MPs who have publicly questioned the ability of Persad-Bissessar to lead the UNC to victory in the next election.
The others are Rushton Paray, Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Dr Rai Ragbir and Rodney Charles.
Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Rambally and Ragbir all filed nominations with the UNC in May to be considered as candidates in the election.
Last year, Charles said he will not stand for re-election in 2025.
Rambally said, "As to my own political future. I am aware of the environment, and I have taken positions I am aware might not be popular with the leadership. I am prepared to face the consequences."
He added, "I’m relatively young, and there is time. Whether via elected office or otherwise, I will serve Trinidad and Tobago in any and every way that I can , as I did before I entered electoral politics."
Rambally was confident other avenues will open up that will allow him to serve the population.
Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Rambally, Ragbir and Charles were not invited to a general election preparat
