Lyndira Oudit, who last week resigned as Vice President of the Senate and as a member of the United National Congress (UNC), the main arm in the People’s Partnership (PP) administration, was rejected as a candidate by the UNC to contest the May 24, 2010, general election.
The educator, who immediately after quitting the positions was appointed an interim deputy political leader of the newly-formed Independent Liberal Party, claims the PP regime began to lose connection with the people soon after the general election in which it defeated the former ruling People’s National Movement, 29-12. She says that her support of ILP’s interim political leader Jack Warner influenced in part her decision to change her political alignment.
Q: Mrs Oudit, is it now open season on the United National Congress and by extension the People’s Partnership Government?
A: (Seated in the living room of her Bell Vue, South Oropouche, home Wednesday afternoon) Well, I never thought it was closed. I thought people were evolving, thoughts were evolving. But what do you mean by open season. Poaching? (A big smile)
That too...?
Well, I think people are simply going to be thinking for themselves now.
They were not thinking before now?
I think there is lot of mind games playing off as politics and if you check back to the past, Mr Raphael, 50s, 60s, 70s, people voted party and once you belonged to the party you were stuck there...it was part of your DNA...
Party politics has always been a part of our modern-day electoral experience and is there anything inherently wrong with this formula as it were?
I don’t think party politics evolved in the way it was required and people simply gave the party their conscience rather than having the conscience themselves and thinking things through. We gave it the party.
Speaking about conscience, Mrs Oudit, are you happy or at peace with yourself over your switching of parties? Your conscience is not bothering you?
(Swift response) Definitely. Very clear. You wouldn’t believe how light I am feeling right now. I am very calm, very collected in my thoughts. But in the last couple of weeks I had been in a state of uncertainty.
Why?
I saw the direction of the party doing things that if I had to speak to the leader or the national executive I would have said, ‘Don’t do that, this is causing a hurt in the party.’
Such as? And how long you were witnessing these negative situations?
It was a gradual procession of things but certainly in my mind it started in 2010, and they were not listening to the voice of constituents, the party’s membership. We didn’t listen as well as we should have.
Mrs Oudit, are you telling me that this disconnect that some people have been accusing the political directorate of began shortly after the May 24, 2010, electoral victory of the PP?
Early on and I have some responsibility in there because I was a member of the national executive.
How was that exemplified?
It was exemplified in the fact that it actually started when the call was made for persons to be selected as candidates for the general election. Not all those selected as candidates came from constituencies which had sent in their nominees. And you brought back the same people who were rejected by their very own constituency.
Tell me how is that different from Chaguanas West? As a member of the Natex, did you bring your concerns to the leader of the party?
Oh, definitely. We had a couple of meetings.
What was the exact nature of some of these concerns?
Even in the selection process. I was actually part of the screening process when we chose persons and in the screening, concerns were raised.
There were people I would have asked questions about representation...you know I said that, ‘The people don’t want you because you don’t have a track record of representation..?’
Again you go back to who is your friend.
You would correct me, Mrs Oudit, if I am wrong but did you, after the general election, speak about being disappointed in not getting a ministerial position?
(Vehement denial, gesticulating while doing so) No. No. I never did that.
Ok, I am sorry, Mrs Oudit, my mistake. Let’s turn our attention to the CW by-election. Did you take part in the campaign of the UNC at all?
No. I wasn’t here for most of it, not even for the election on July 29.
I know that you have always been a supporter of the interim political leader of the Independent Liberal Party, Jack Warner, which is your right...?
Uh huh.
Would you say that your decision to switch allegiance to the ILP was influenced by that relationship?
No. I am not giving responsibility to anyone for my decision and it was based on what I felt was happening in the party. He might have been a catalyst for forming a party which I can go to, but right now there are many like me.
I take it because you were not here for the campaign you cannot pronounce on what transpired in that event?
(Left hand resting on the back rest of her chair.) Oh, I can because I looked at it on the social network.
Very well. I found it at times to be very repugnant. Did you?
Well, I wouldn’t want to use that word but I thought we had descended into really nasty politics. I was very ashamed and I felt that was what I never wanted to be part of, and what I found ironic was that at no time did I hear Mr Warner say anything negative about the Prime Minister or the party or whatever. There were some things ...
Oh, you were really did not hear the campaign?
No, I heard it and I know there was one issue.
He said nothing negative about the Prime Minister?
(Strenuously nodding.) No. I don’t think he said anything negative. He said he was not saying anything and what he did say he raised issues.
Tongue in cheek?
Tongue in cheek is not nasty and I know there were issues regarding certain ministers. Picong is expected but you get that in the Parliament (throwing her hands across animatedly).
What was mainly responsible for the victory of Mr Warner on July 29?
Clevon, the people moved away from the traditional pattern. They had a choice of who to vote for—the UNC, they could have voted for race, they could have voted for traditional party but they did not. They looked at what they wanted in an elected representative and that is what Jack represented to them.
Mrs Oudit, on this matter of your change in political direction, isn’t it curious that one day you were vice president of the Senate under the PP administration and the next day you are a deputy political leader of another party?
(A questioning glance at Raphael) No. No. I was thinking about a lot of things. Like I said I have been going through a lot of uncertainty. Even in discussions with my colleagues. You know we would sit and talk about things that are happening and what you did not like and people knew that I was very disappointed in what happened in Chaguanas West. After I submitted my resignation on Monday, I had a very long conversation with Mr Warner last night and it was at that point we confirmed that I was going to help build the party.
You served the party and in the Senate for three years. Did you feel slighted in any way by the treatment you received from the UNC?
No. Initially, I felt... because I did put up my name in 2010 as a candidate to fight the election. But after that you know Clevon, life has been good.
You were a member of the screening committee, weren’t you?
Yeah.
Isn’t that some kind…?
The committee is made up of members of the national executive, so on the day of screening you simply excluded yourself. I mean Jack Warner and Mrs Persad-Bissessar were also members of the committee.
Mrs Oudit, in 2009, you expressed support for Mrs Persad-Bissessar saying she was the best person to lead the country. What’s your opinion on her leadership performance today?
Every leader of government would normally put together a team of advisers that they depend on...
A cabal as is being claimed?
I don’t know if it’s a cabal, if that’s what you call a team of advisers but that team cannot make the decision for you and at end of the day you have the individual responsibility, so the ultimate responsibility must be given to the Prime Minister. Her leadership style is not as strong as I had hoped in 2010.