Nine members of the Congress of the People (COP) yesterday defended their leader Prakash Ramadhar and stood in support of his decision to continue a partnership with the United National Congress.The COP members who were also constituency group members defended their MP after a group of COP members, including Ramadhar's brother, Kishore, called for his resignation this week.
The call came after the results of Monday's local government elections when the People's Partnership only won control of five regional corporations.At a news conference at the office of the candidate for Curepe/Pasea Anita Seeram, chairman of the COP St Augustine constituency group, Jameson Bahadur, described it as a sad day when outsiders could question the work and leadership of the COP leader."We know the work Ramadhar has done for the COP and we know the work he has done for his constituency," Bahadur said.
Bahadur and the group listed projects completed under Ramadhar's watch, including the Oropune Walkover, the start of a playpark in Spring Village and the refurbishment of several community grounds."If you want to see the work he has done, come and see it," Bahadur said."People talk about Ramadhar not performing but when it floods he would drive around the entire constituency to assess damage so that help can be offered."
Another resident, Chaitram Brown, said he felt those calling for Ramadhar's resignation were either "up to mischief" or "filled with hate and venom."Brown said he was in full support of maintaining the partnership with the UNC which began with the Fyzabad declaration in 2010."If we leave the partnership, that will be the demise of our party," he said.He said the COP was not dead as it had maintained its position in the Government.
Brown and the group said they were prepared to file a motion to remove Ramadhar's detractors from the party."Their intention is to mash up the party," Brown said.The group said the call for Ramadhar's removal was nothing new."It is a call that might generally be at our national council meetings, but generally, all of the constituencies support the COP."