Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar says the party is embarrassed that the issue involving senior members Winston Dookeran and Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan has reached into the public domain. Responding to questions from the media at a press conference at the COP’s Charlieville office yesterday, Ramadhar said the matter was a very simple one.
He said a preliminary offer to get involved in the general election was made last year to COP MPs. He said Dookeran, the St Augustine MP, was written to by the party’s general secretary and was required to respond within a certain time. Ramadhar said he, too, had to go through the same process. Incumbent San Fernando East MP Seepersad-Bachan has maintained, however, she was never written to about recontesting the seat. The T&T Guardian was unable to reach Dookeran yesterday on the matter.
Ramadhar said the COP is extremely optimistic about the 2015 general election and he believes truth will win in the war against propaganda. The COP, he said, is firmly committed to the People’s Partnership and has already held discussions with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on how they can work together for the general election. The COP is in election campaign gear and a directive has gone out to members to build themselves in every way and work with the UNC in its strongholds.
He said the COP will contest the seats it now holds. Questioned about diminishing oil prices, Ramadhar said the COP’s general secretary and vice-chairman met with Finance Minister Larry Howai and advised that citizens must be protected first in any change that comes. As for the PM’s national address on the matter which came in for criticism from the Opposition, he said she could have said the Government was stopping the distribution of food cards and other projects but did not.
Ramadhar said the PM preferred to leave the slashes in expenditure in the various ministries to the people best suited to decide on it. She was guided in her address by “experts in oil and groups,” he said. He said T&T’s economy is in a far better location to absorb the shocks of falling oil prices but had a word of advice for citizens, “Every citizen should ensure his expenditure is for his needs and not his wants.”