Congress of the People (COP) members must discuss as soon as possible whether they want to continue in the Peoples’ Partnership Government. That’s the view of the party’s chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith following the sacking of her husband, former national security minister Gary Griffith, on Monday.
The cabinet changes took place after a criminal complaint was made by Police Complaints Authority Director David West who claimed he was offered the PCA post as an inducement by former attorney general Anand Ramlogan to withdraw his witness statement in support of Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who is the defendant in a defamation lawsuit brought by the former AG.
Although the party, a coalition member of the PP, issued a statement supporting the PM’s changes, Dyer-Griffith said her view was diametrically opposed to her political leader Prakash Ramadhar’s on the issue. Ramadhar supported the cabinet changes saying he believed ministers embroiled in controversy should step down.
Dyer-Griffith spoke in an interview moments after the PM announced her changes on Monday night and again yesterday morning after a COP statement supporting the changes was released. Yesterday, also, Communication Minister Vasant Bharath assured the public the Government had the full support of the COP on the matter.
But after Ramadhar spoke Monday night, Dyer-Griffith said she was opposed to his view since she felt—not merely because Griffith was her husband—that the grounds on which he was removed were unacceptable. “I’m very concerned about the way the roll-out of this change was done since the (West) matter is under probe and Gary was only a voluntary witness, not the one accused of anything,” Dyer-Griffith said yesterday.
On Monday, Dyer-Griffith expressed her view at a COP executive meeting which was held before the PM announced the changes and she shared her concern with some of the members present. She declined comment on the views expressed at that meeting when the changes were announced. Dyer-Griffith said she recused herself from the COP meeting and left. It is understood some members left also.
Ramadhar joined the meeting after the changes were announced and the party subsequently issued a statement in support of the reshuffle. COP members told Guardian that several members at the meeting had expressed the view that it was untenable for the COP to continue in the PP since the COP had received a “slap in the face on the matter.”
After the COP’s statement was released, Dyer-Griffith told Guardian she had not changed her mind and her view was still opposed to Ramadhar’s. “I remain diametrically opposed to the leader’s view. I believe the matter of whether the COP can continue in the PP should be discussed by the membership as soon as possible.”
A COP National Council meeting is expected soon. COP former chairman Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan and former leader Winston Dookeran did not answer calls.