The Congress of the People (COP), led by Winston Dookeran, in May of 2010 joined with others in coalition and signed the Fyzabad Agreement for the specific purpose of removing Patrick Manning from office as the people were tired of his dictatorial and megalomaniac tendencies and the unchecked squandermania taking place under his watch. While to many this was a very laudable deed, it would appear that the party, having succeeded in its noble pursuit, has now become and defends what it once proclaimed to be contemptuous of not that long ago and the people are now asking serious questions of their leaders. Where is the promised governance based on feedback, of a continuous conversation with the people to set policy based on the will of the people?
Where are the plans to reset and reboot what passes for governance in protection of the people so that ambitious megalomaniacs and would-be dictators in the future could be held in check by law? To the consternation of the members (specifically) and the electorate (in general), none of the substantive promises made on the hustings are being kept, and the main question being asked by members and supporters of the COP and enunciated eloquently by deputy political leader Robert Mayers is simple: Why is the party still in this coalition? What is the rationale for remaining in the Partnership "post" Manning's PNM if it is not seen as an equal partner?
The UNC, currently consisting of the Sharma faction, the Rambachan faction, the Gopeesingh faction, the Ramlogan faction and the Warner faction, is already a coalition, and the COP is serving no one by remaining a part of any Partnership with them; not the country, not the electorate and certainly not itself.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar has demonstrated that she has neither the experience nor the capacity to keep these ambitious hounds at bay, and it is only a matter of time before the UNC collapses in a heap and falls into disarray once again. What will become of the COP then? The party desperately needs to disengage from this motley crew and disengage fast before it becomes irrelevant to the politics.
It needs to establish itself as a true national party and raise an army of activists on the people's behalf to bring integrity and ethics back to Parliament.
It needs to give the people of this country a chance to vote for something rather than against for a change. The rank and file membership and supporters of the COP need to demand that their leaders disembark this crazy train before the party is lost to history and take steps to set it back on track to governance. Politics has never been a sport for the faint-hearted and I daresay all who profess to be in the leadership in the COP now need to either grow some backbone or move out of history's way.
Phillip Edward Alexander
Via e-mail