On the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the United National Congress
Today, we celebrate the 29th anniversary of the inception of our great UNC and as we mark this special occasion, we must take a moment to reflect on our core Party principles which sets us apart from any other political institution in this country.
Our Party was born out of the struggle of people who wanted better governance, a safer country, better educational opportunities for their children, better health care, and a better Trinidad and Tobago.
We have a dedication and commitment to equality and justice for everyone and a fundamental belief in democratic principles.
We are a truly national Party, reflective of our diversity as a rainbow nation and in the last 29 years with the hard work and commitment of our many soldiers we have built a party of the people, for the people.
So today we celebrate how far we have come and how instrumental we have been in the process of nation building, that as a Party we have always been committed to creating a better Trinidad and Tobago by empowering Trinidadians and Tobagonians.
Today, we pay special tribute to our founding fathers who fought against all oppression and indignity to bring us to the point of electoral and socio-economic revolution in our nation.
The UNC took birth from among the people, beginning as Club 88 – the Caucus of Love, unity and brotherhood, through hundreds of cottage meetings driven by the determination to listen and then lead, the building blocks of a truly national institution became a reality. We continued to grow our Party in a similar manner, by meeting with the people and today we have over 100,000 members and counting.
One of our founding principles was the equality of every member and the inclusion of a one-member, one-vote system in our party’s constitution. That democratic principle led to the membership making orderly transitions of leadership on three occasions in in our brief history.
Today the UNC continues to hold strong to its founding principles and we remain a people’s organisation. The UNC has provided two Prime Ministers of Trinidad and Tobago, both of whom led with a people’s agenda, with a commitment to social justice as a guiding principle to national development.
The UNC elected the first female Political Leader who would go on to be Prime Minster of this country leading the way in diversity at the highest levels of decision making.
We remain committed to a peoples’ agenda, to trailblazing and dynamic leadership and representation. We promise to invest in our young people and grow the next generation of leaders who will be committed to principles. We will rise again to the challenge of bringing light back to our country to burn out the darkness that has descended on Trinidad and Tobago.
Our vision remains one of inclusion, justice, equality, democracy and freedom. There is room in the UNC for everyone who believes in these principles. On this special anniversary we wish to extend to all our members, supporters and friends, especially our founding members, congratulations for building a strong party and best wishes as we prepare to regain the mantle of governance for the benefit of all our people.
As sure as the sunrise, we will rise again.
From the Political Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar and the National Executive, happy birthday Team UNC!