“Our electoral fortunes have become a nightmare from which we seem unable to awake. I, like so many of you, who have worked hard for this party also share the great frustration of losing an election which was ours to win. We somehow miraculously contrived to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.”

Those are the words of  former UNC minister, Vasant Bharath, as he formally launched his campaign for leadership of the United National Congress on Friday, after first announcing plans to contest the position earlier this week.

Bharath said if elected as political leader of the party, he would return the UNC to government.

“I share your disbelief that our party lost yet another election against what is perhaps the most unpopular, despised and ridiculed Government in the history of our nation. The PNM achieved nothing. They helped no one. They mismanaged everything and yet under our current leadership, they were still able to defeat our party,” he said. 

Bharath, who served as Trade Minister under the People’s Partnership government led by Kamla Persad Bissessar, is one of three known candidates for leadership of the UNC. 

Persad-Bissessar will seek another term of leadership and Devant Maharaj, who also served as a minister of government under the People’s Partnership, has announced that he will contest the seat.

The party will head to the polls on December 6th.