Five MPs moved to foot of UNC bench in House

Minister of Youth Foster Cummings engages in conversation with opposition MPs Anita Haynes, Rushton Paray, and Dinesh Rambally during a session at the House of Representatives, Red House, Port of Spain, on September 9. - Photo by Krisann Durity

FIVE opposition MPs have said they were unfazed over being put to sit separately from other UNC MPs in the House of Representatives, and promised to uphold "UNC principles."

These were Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Naparima MP Rodney Charles, Mayaro MP Rushton Paray, Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir, and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally.

In the September 9 sitting, the quintet walked into the chamber at 2.03 pm and took their seats at the far end of the bench from the whip's seat.

This seeming sequestration provoked visible merriment from Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales, who was seen laughing and pointing in their direction.

Paray mustered a good-natured smile, but a reserved and subdued one, for Gonzales, as did Rambally. Haynes-Alleyne was beaming.

UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was not seen in the chamber. Later, Newsday tried but was unable to contact opposition whip David Lee.

Afterwards Haynes-Alleyne told reporters that after the UNC internal elections – in which Paray led the UP team which unsuccessfully vied for national executive posts against a slate backed by Persad-Bissessar – she had got word of an intention to re-work the seating of the opposition benches. This comes after Newsday recently reported that the five MPs were not invited to a UNC election planning meeting on September 1.

Haynes-Alleyne said, "We were adamant from the beginning that it is more important to consider where you stand in politics than where you sit.

"So the seating arrangements will not really have any major impact, save and except as my colleague MP Rambally has said, the seriousness of the debate has moved to the front of the bench on the other side" (that is, the last five seats on the opposition bench).

The five were notified of the seating changes earlier that day, without any reason given, presumably by a decision from the opposition leadership.

Haynes-Alleyne said, "All five of us are together. In life you find yourself in groupings where like minds attract each other. So we really are not fazed by the move at all."

Asked about speculation about a breakaway faction, she said the UP team's philosophy had been that a stronger UNC would benefit Trinidad and Tobago.

"That remains true. Where we can strengthen the UNC is over the course of our parliamentary terms of ensuring the debate is robust and the Government is held to account. No matter where you sit in Parliament, you are able to do that."

Asked were they saw themselves in the UNC going forward, she replied, "Standing strong."

Asked if they remained committed to the party, she replied, "We remain committed to the principles of the UNC, which is to put people at the centre of development."

Reporters asked about their prospects to be UNC candidates in next year's general election.

Haynes-Alleyne said, "When we embarked on a journey to strengthen the UNC we were cognisant at the time. The most important thing for us to get good governance in TT. The way to do that is get a good government elected, so we embarked on our strategy to do that, given that there have been shifts in the House, and we have considered what it meant for our parliamentary career next year, again feeling that the principles we espoused during the (UNC internal election) campaign remain important and must be on the front burner."

She said there were other precedents, seemingly alluding to the Prime Minister's being estranged from the PNM hierarchy under the Patrick Manning government.

"There was a person sitting much further on the bench who is higher up right now. So you never know."

Haynes-Alleyne pointed out how quickly things can change in politics, with "a year being like a day."

"So we have to remain committed to the principles we stood for and remain committed to the people of TT.

"Where that takes us from now until the general election of 2025, time alone will tell."

She said she had never spoken of weakness in the party but of "strength" and a need to strengthen the UNC.

Haynes-Alleyne said it was a very crucial time, with next year's election and Parliament set to debate the budget and Representation of the People Act.

"Politics is in the hands of the people. When you make a decision about your political career, it is more about what people would like to see in the politics of TT, and that will be the deciding factor next year."