OPPOSITION
Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has come under heavy fire from some
MPs within her United National Congress (UNC) party over the appointments
of Senators Dr. Shastri Moonan and Razia Ahmed.
The MPs said they were not consulted over the appointments and were
only informed at the last minute.
Moonan’s first day in the senate, when he was seen sleeping
(or resting his eyes), caused a furore among UNC activists and supporters,
who are calling for his removal to save the image of the party.
Moonan was able to slip through the party’s safety net, even
though he faced bribery charges some 18 years ago (which he won)
because of no proper screening procedures.
Politicians normally have to undergo stringent background checks
before they are appointed to high public office, one UNC official
told TnT Mirror.
Now there are accusations that it was the notorious “Cabal”
who selected Moonan and none of the MPs sitting on Persad-Bissessar’s
side in Parliament had an input into the rush selection of the two
Senators to replace senators Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan and Sadiq
Baksh, who were fired by the Opposition Leader last week.
Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath admitted in a radio interview that
he was only informed about the appointment of Moonan.
He defended Moonan’s taking a rest in the Senate by saying
rather foolishly, “at some time, we all does sleep in Parliament.”
Some UNC officials are claiming that Ahmed, who served as a senator
when the UNC was in government, had turned down an offer to go back
into the Senate when the party went into opposition.
“They had to beg her to come back now,” one activist
said.
Talk in UNC circles is that multi-millionaire Moonan, an attorney,
accepted the senatorial post on the grounds that he wants to contest
a “safe” seat in the next general election.
Sources said he was promised the Oropouche constituency which is
being represented in Parliament by Dr. Roodal Moonilal.
A party source said that it would appear that Moonilal is an “independent”
UNC MP or is “playing both sides”.
“We don’t know which side Moonilal is on.
“He is keeping a low profile,” one activist said.
Sources say that a number of activists were hoping they would have
been considered.
One attorney among the hopefuls, who is said to be a radio lover,
is reported to be fuming mad for being bypassed.
Sources say there are huge question marks over the macho attorney’s
private lifestyle, which they say cannot withstand searching scrutiny.
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