Panday fires UNC Chief Whip

Trinidad and Tobago\'s opposition leader Basdeo Panday has fired parliamentarian Ramesh Maharaj as Chief Whip of the United National Congress (UNC).



The Chief Whip’s role is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote, as the party leadership desires.



Mr. Maharaj has now lost his job as lead spokesman of the UNC in the parliament, and will sit on the back benches.



He is being replaced by another parliamentarian Dr Hamza Rafeeq.



Mr. Maharaj, who has served as an attorney-general in a former UNC government, has recently been critical of Mr. Panday\'s leadership.



The tensions between the two escalated two Sundays ago when rival UNC factions clashed in a violent confrontation at the party\'s headquarters.