The race for leadership of the United National Congress is heating up, as former government minister, Vasant Bharath has announced plans to contest the position in the party’s internal elections, carded for December 6th.

Mr. Bharath says he cannot sit by as an “idle spectator” as the party suffers consecutive losses at the national polls.

“The first and most important priority for the party is to unite the people of the country, unite all of those members who have been cast aside for frivolous reasons,” he said. 

Bharath served as Trade Minister in the People’s Partnership government from 2010 to 2015, led by then-Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar.

This is Bharath’s third attempt to win leadership of the UNC.

In 2015 he was significantly defeated in the internal election which came shortly after the September 7th general election.

Two years later in 2017, Bharath had also contested leadership of the party, but withdrew before the vote, citing concerns that the process was not “free and fair”.