Congress of the People founder and St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran yesterday bowed out of electoral politics, praising Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar but was critical of the COP, the party he had founded. Dookeran, 71, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke at an appreciation function at his Tunapuna constituency office several hours before the five-year term of the tenth Parliament ended at midnight. He announced he was bowing out of politics after 34 years and would not be seeking re-election.
He said many might have guessed that but he wanted to acknowledge officially it was a deliberate step. “The curtain has come down. I have to pass on the baton. I do so with no animosity and little disappointment but a lot of expectation that T&T will overcome anything in its path in the future. I know that,” he added. He also hoped character assassination in T&T would be stopped and “we conduct public affairs in a way to be proud about.”
Dookeran, who said he contested six elections, added he thought the time had come to give way and had started the process a few years ago. He said his time in the field had involved years of joy and some intrigues. He said Persad-Bissessar had performed “exceptionally well in holding T&T together. She met all the needs of all the people, especially the less privileged — a major achievement — and maintained T&T’s high image in international work.”
He added: “I think as a government the Prime Minister has held it together... that is a feat in itself... in its own right. “In terms of social stability, all the people have benefitted, especially the lower income, from the programme. The international image which in recent times I worked on has remained very high profile. The Prime Minister has addressed all international forums and has obtained tremendous applause for the positions she has taken.”
Dookeran, who said he felt extremely safe in T&T as a politician, added he did not think Independent Liberal Party political leader Jack Warner’s attacks on the People’s Partnership (PP) would taint the country’s international image.
Dookeran, however, told the audience: “My greatest disappointment is the COP. Having won 24 seats in Local Government elections and six in general election in the short space since inception, it’s today not able to grow and flourish as we once hoped but it’s not the end. In the road of politics there are ups and downs and challenges.”
He underscored that matter when asked if he had any regrets. He told reporters his only regret was the party that he had wanted to rise did not do so. On whether he would work with the COP, he said a new leadership was in place and it would have to do what was best. “I did see at one time there was need for me to get back involved and had tried to but it didn’t happen so I leave it now to whoever has to,” he added.
On whether he would serve in some way with the PP if it won, he said: “At this stage of my life, I value my freedom as a citizen and as a private person and cannot make a commitment of a political nature beyond what I have said here today.” He said he considered his involvement in politics as being extremely rewarding and had done whatever he could have at every stage and every challenge he met. He noted his role during the 1990 attempted coup, saying he always defended democracy when it was at risk.
Dookeran said setting up the COP was a defence of democracy and he was always guided by certain fundamental principles. He was among the ministers held hostage at the Red House before being released to assume the role of deputy prime minister while the constitutionally elected prime minister ANR Robinson remained a captive in the Red House.
Dookeran said yesterday many times “obviously people had to disagree” but he was happy at this stage knowing “fully well what I have done for T&T at every occasion and have discharged the function. “Even as an economist I was happy to serve the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) to put T&T back on its path and I was also happy to serve the PP to bring fiscal stability back into play,” he added.
He said building T&T was more than winning an election and over the years to come the fruits of the work would be seen. As Dookeran’s function concluded and reporters were leaving the office, People’s National Movement (PNM) Tunapuna candidate Esmond Forde passed the office, heading east, blowing his horn. A short way up the road also, a car flying mini-PNM flags headed west.
Thanks public
During the function Dookeran said he considered it an honour to have contested and thanked the public for allowing him to do so. He said politicians should never abrogate the right to represent the people unless they received the people’s approval. “That was why I was so vocal in the run-off bill since I felt every vote must count and anyone who wanted to represent the people must have the right from the people. I’m deeply honoured by the people to have had the great goodwill that I did.” he added.
Dookeran said he always strived to bring T&T together and at one time had wished to contest Rio Claro where he was born. He also said he wanted in his time to contest Laventille. He said he never felt dismayed about T&T’s future but had only wanted to be part of building it. He noted his time with the NAR which, he said, travelled the dangerous road of politics and to “some extent faltered.”
He said he was called to serve again with the COP and it had been his honour to “interfere” in the politics by building a party. He said building a party could not be done on vision alone and it required many efforts. Dookeran’s office manager, Ramjattan Singh, and representatives from the Chaguanas, St Augustine and Tunapuna seats he represented lauded him. Musical tribute was also paid to him via a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way.