This PP marriage look like it heading for an annulment faster than a Las Vegas hook up
Shame and scandal in the PP family—de Lima
COP officials cry unfair treatment...
Gail Alexander
Published: 13 Oct 2010
Gail Alexander
Further front-line Congress of the People officials, including deputy chairman Hulsie Bhaggan, have hit the People’s Partnership Government—in which COP is a member—regarding selections for state boards and other issues. At a COP meeting on Monday, Bhaggan called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar to listen to what was being said and make changes to reflect T&T’s diversity. “Not everyone thinks alike,” Bhaggan added. Another speaker, COP’s Vernon de Lima added: “I say there is shame and scandal in the family!” Bhaggan and other speakers at the meeting in St Clair voiced the common theme that the COP was not being treated with fairness and equity. The attending crowd loudly agreed all the way. The meeting was held to feature candidates for COP’s executive election next week. Senior members vying for executive positions— such as Bhaggan, de Lima and Joseph Toney expressed concern at the state of the People’s Partnership.
De Lima, seeking for COP’s chairmanship, used the analogy of a marriage for the partnership. “Let us not hide (it) under the blanket—if something is wrong, talk about it!” he said. “Something has happened over the past few days that is disturbing and challenges the smooth running of the Partnership— there’s a rumbling and tumbling in the atmosphere. “Our people have worked hard in the trenches. Are they now being treated with fairness and consideration? Are we not partners? They’re not even asking for 50/50 Do you consider those board allocations fair?” With members loudly agreeing, de Lima said: “My understanding is that our representative on the selection board was absent when they were made and the MSJ was not even represented either. “Is that how a partnership works?...Come on—be real,” he said. “We fought the good fight and now we are sidelined...as if only to make up numbers. “There is shame and scandal in the family! If the roles were reversed we would never treat them so. We voted for change not exchange.”
De Lima said the People’s Partnership “marriage” had not irretrievably broken down. “We shall never let that happen, but to whom much is given much is expected,” he said. “To our partners, I say we can walk arm in arm without seeing eye to eye. All we ask is fairness.” De Lima said he would not throw the partnership “under the bus,” but would instead “steer the bus.” Bhaggan, also seeking COP chairmanship, said the COP felt bruised and fractured from psychological and emotional trauma. Not only was she unhappy with the state board selections, Bhaggan said, she had been unhappy also with the way seats were distributed for recent general and local government elections. Bhaggan said the COP must build a more powerful voice in the partnership and relaunch the party with a mass gathering with 25,000 people. Stating that coalitions were now more popular, Bhaggan reinforced her position against COP being absorbed into the UNC. Toney—another chairmanship contestant— agreed that COP felt “bruised and fractured.” He said many were frustrated at the pace of COP’s influence in a matter. “And I too, as well, at times,” he added.
Noting criticisms by Labour Minister Errol McLeod and others on board appointments, Toney said those people were feeling “exactly” as he felt when he heard of the appointments. He said there was a perception that COP was “under the radar,” and a gap existed between party and COP leadership. COP’s George Dhaniram—contesting the post of public relations officer—said the events of the last 72 hours concerning board appointments had made him feel that those in the corridors of power must act responsibly, fairly and equitably and undertake action to benefit all T&T. Dhaniram, warning against the partnership becoming a “warship,” said the board issue should be a wake-up call for the People’s Partnership leadership to understand that the general election win was not for one party, but for a coalition of parties. Noting COP had produced the ideas for laptops and “axing” the property tax, Dhaniram said it was now opportune for the COP to lead the battle call and be the voice of national conscience. Sport Minister Anil Roberts chaired Monday’s meeting. In a recent radio programme Roberts defended board appointments.
