Nicole Quits Cop.
By Renuka Singh (Guardian).
Chairman of the Congress of the People (COP), Nicole Dyer-Griffith, has resigned from the party. She said the COP is being sidelined by the main partner in the coalition People’s Partnership, the United National Congress (UNC). “Yes I have resigned as chairman and as a member of the Congress of the People,” Dyer-Griffith told reporters as she and a group of people walked out of the party’s National Coouncil meeting in Charlieville yesterday morning.
She said following her resignation, at least 40 to 50 other COP members “also left the room, some of them resigning immediately and I am not sure what would have transpired afterwards.” In her letter of resignation, Dyer-Griffith condemned COP political leader Prakash Ramadhar for not standing up against the coalition partners in support of the minority party.
She said chief among her reasons for quitting was the treatment meted out to party members, including former Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith who was removed without notice during the February 4 Cabinet reshuffle that saw former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, as well as her husband, former National security Minister Gary Griffith, removed from office. She claimed Ramadhar, despite being Hamel-Smith’s political leader, was left out of discussions about his removal.
“I take umbrage for the perceived lack of discussion with you as the political leader of a party residing in the Partnership by the leaders of the Partnership, before major decisions are taken. Such was the case with the most recent removal of Mr. Hamel Smith. This is not the first instance of this non discussion. Dyer-Griffith said over the years, the COP and its activists have felt “somewhat marginalized” by the UNC.
“We have endured the hue and cry over the years, with many of us growing weary of the constant struggle to empower members, supporters, activists and members of the general population on matters of equity.” “One partner remained more equal than the others,” she said.
When Dyer-Griffith’s husband was removed from Cabinet earlier this month, Ramadhar described her reaction as “emotional”. In her resignation letter, Dyer-Griffith said: “The matters relating to the recent issue of the removal of Mr. Gary Griffith has raised the ire of many. I thread carefully, as I would not wish to be labelled as emotional once again.
“However, for the political leader to have agreed wholeheartedly, via both his pronouncement and via a media statement by the National Executive in support of his statement, begs the question of the rationale, not only for supporting same, but also the rationale for refusing to make a similar call for the stepping aside of any other ministers currently being investigated in the said matter,” she said.
After sending in her resignation to Ramadhar yesterday, Dyer-Griffith posted one word on her Facebook page: “Exhale.”
Hamel-Smith out of COP politics
In a brief telephone interview yesterday, Hamel-Smith said he had not been involved in COP political business for the past five years and did not see himself re-entering that fold. “I know nothing of her resignation other than what I have read in the newspapers,” he said. He said while he has seen Dyer-Griffith “on occasion”, they have not had discussions about her future with the COP.
When asked whether he was surprised by her move, Hamel-Smith said: “I saw it as likely.” He said he did not have a grasp of the party and as such could not detail the ramifications of her resignation on the future of the COP. For the time being, he said, he remained a non-resigned member of the party but not an active one. ILP leader Jack Warner yesterday lauded both Griffiths for their strong stance in the political environment and described Dyer-Griffith’s move as “unprecedented”.
“The country is fortunate to have people like the Griffiths to look up to,” he said. Warner called on right thinking people to support Dyer-Griffith and leave the COP. “Leave Ramadhar standing alone and let the country see his true clothes,” he said.
Bharath: Committment to PP matters
Reacting to the resignation of Congress of the People (COP) chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith, Communications Minister Vasant Bharath said the commitment of the party to the People’s Partnership (PP) is what matters. Bharath said he has not been formally informed of Dyer-Griffith’s departure from the party, noting it was an internal matter for the COP. “It will, I presume, become a national issue at some point in time. As I said, I have not had the full details of it to be in a position to adequately comment.”
Asked whether he thought the resignation would affect the party, Bharath said: “I don’t know at this point in time, my guess is that it won’t. I don’t know the extent or how many people would have walked out with Mrs Dyer-Griffith and the influence they may have held within the organisation.
|The leader of the COP is on record as stating that the COP remains firmly within the partnership and in support of the Government, and I think that is what is important at this point in time.”
Former chairman weighs options
Saying it’s time to change the game, former COP chairman Nicole Dyer Griffith yesterday hinted that she’ll be speaking to like-minded independent people who aren’t interested in certain options on the political landscape. She’s did not say whether this excludes the ILP or PNM. After she and others left the party’s National Council yesterday morning, some members hinted that they might be linking with Jack Warner’s ILP or others opposed to the PP.
Dyer Griffith said she would take a break and examine her next step since her options are open. She said there was a wide pool of independent people who were not one thing or the next and she was certain some of them would be interested in having similar conversations. She said there would be independent people not interested in A or B. Dyer-Griffith would not say whether that excluded the ILP or PNM, but said: “For too long there hasn’t been inclusion, it’s time to change the game.”
COP Diego Martin central field officer John Rignaud, who also resigned yesterday said he would wait on Dyer-Griffith to discuss what they intended to do but if they were going to ILP, he had to think about that. Rignaud said linking with ILP is “far from my thoughts.” (Gail Alexander)
