The People's Partnership (PP) Government is fragile. That's how chairman of the Congress of the People (COP) Joseph Toney is describing the current state of the 23-month-old Government. "As far as I am concerned, at this point in time the People's Partnership is a fragile entity, given the developments that took place last week," Toney said at a news conference at the COP office, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. He was referring to the resignation of San Fernando mayor Marlene Coudray from the party. He said as yet he had not received any resignation letter from Coudray. However, Toney said, the PP units must find a way to work together. His call comes in the wake of demands from another member party of the PP Government, the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), for a leadership meeting to ensure there is cohesion in the work of the Government.
He said: "It is up to all of us to repair damage that may have been done last week and we do hope that can be done in the shortest possible time. "I don't want to go into ultimatum, I don't think that is proper or fair but we recognise there has been some damage caused. "There have been some distrust created and we have to erase that if we are to gel and go forward. "We still have with us the membership form of Marlene Coudray as a member of the COP." He insisted it was not an issue of personality. "The issue is not about one person. The issue is how do we organise ourselves to work with one another in the People's Partnership. That is the issue," he added. He said the COP had reports of poaching and the party had to be on guard to prevent that. He hoped such matters would be put on the agenda during Thursday's leadership meeting of PP units. He was not prepared to suggest what measures should be put in place to ensure the PP stayed united. Toney also said the party's political leader, Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar, was to make a statement on the San Fernando mayorship, which is held by Coudray.
She had said previously that although she was a member of the COP, she was appointed mayor by the UNC. Toney also responded to questions on the move by the constituency executive of COP's Lopinot/Bon Air West in taking a matter to the media before taking it to the party. He was referring to the executive's vote of no confidence in the MP for the constituency, Minister in the Ministry of the People and Social Development, Lincoln Douglas. Toney said he met with the executive over the weekend and condemned its action. He said he had to hear both sides before coming to any conclusion. In response to another question, Toney said in the past week he had been more encouraged to work in the interest of COP. Asked if the call to rally around the party meant parting with the PP Government, Toney said that was not relevant now.