Bharath wants UNC election chairman to go

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As the battle for leadership and the executive of the United National Congress continues, leadership challenger Vasant Bharath is now in a tiff with election team chairman Ramesh Persad-Maharaj who wrote Bharath a blistering letter on Monday.

Bharath has now called for the election team to resign.

This, after Maharaj in a blunt and lengthy letter, reprimanded Bharath on what he said was Bharath’s recent tirade concerning a meeting called to deal with election issues.

Persad-Maharaj claimed Bharath was “economical of the truth” – and he cancelled the meeting which had been set for today.

But Bharath fired back yesterday.

He said, “I wish to reject your feeble explanation for postponing our previously scheduled meeting. The matters which I identified for discussion at the previously scheduled meeting were ordinary electoral issues that any competent and independent election chairman would be prepared to deal with at a moment’s notice.

“The fact that you’d require an adjournment of five days to discuss issues such as electoral lists, appointment of election officers and the form of ballots is astonishing. If as election chairman you were not treating with issues such as these, then one is forced to wonder if you were simply twiddling your thumbs awaiting instructions on how to perform your tasks.

“Ignoring for the moment the obviously vapid and senseless rantings in your letter, I wish to treat with an issue which is particularly alarming to any UNC member concerned about fairness the internal elections and overall national image of our party.

“In your letter, you state as follows in relation to persons that will be appointed by you to oversee the election process: ‘We are not concerned with the officer’s loyalties. That is our business’ chairman, you have boldly admitted to not caring whether the persons appointed to oversee the elections are publicly declared supporters and enablers of Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In other words, the fact that persons who are responsible for counting votes or supervising ballot boxes are actively campaigning for Mrs Persad Bissessar is an irrelevant issue for you as chairman.”

Bharath added, “Your position on this issue is clearly inconsistent with any semblance of independence, transparency, or the conduct of a free and fair election. Given the above, I am forced to call upon you and any member of the committee which agreed to this to immediately resign from the unilaterally appointed Election Committee. Please govern yourself accordingly.”