United National Congress
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United National Congress
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| Leader | Kamla Persad-Bissessar |
| Chairperson | David Lee |
| Founder | Basdeo Panday |
| Founded | 30 April 1989 |
| Merger of | National Alliance for Reconstruction, Workers and Farmers Party, Democratic Labour Party, United Labour Front |
| Headquarters | UNC Headquarters, Southern Main Road, Couva |
| Membership (2015) | 95,000+ |
| Ideology |
Democratic socialism, Social democracy, Third Way |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| National affiliation | People's Partnership |
| Colors | Yellow |
| House of Representatives |
18 / 41
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| Regional municipalities |
56 / 137
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| Regional corporations |
7 / 14
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| Website | |
| www |
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The United National Congress (UNC) is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the main parties in the current opposition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction in 1988. After spending six years in opposition, the UNC won control of the government in 1995 (initially in coalition with the National Alliance for Reconstruction and later on its own). In the 2000 general elections, the UNC won an absolute majority in the Parliament. In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. Between 1991 and 1995, and again from 2001 to 2010, the UNC was the Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as the majority party in the People's Partnership. With this victory, the UNC's political leader Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the first woman to hold this position.
The party symbol is the rising sun above the Trinity Hills.
The party was founded on 30 April 1989 following a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction. In that split 6 MPs (including Panday) all of whom were former members of the United Labour Front left the NAR to form the Caucus for Love, Unity and Brotherhood 1988 (CLUB 88) which was chaired by Dr. Rampersad Parasram. CLUB 88 evolved into the United National Congress with Panday as leader and Dr. Rampersad Parasram as its first chairman. Panday had also been the leader of the United Labour Front
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