Dookeran says deal with UNC-A is an option

Winston Dookeran says an accommodation with the UNC Alliance (UNC-A) is an option for his Congress of the People (COP) for the local government elections. And for the first time he has revealed that a similar arrangement was considered by COP for the general election.

With regard to the general election the COP Political leader says the party voted against doing a deal with the UNC-A.

It's the first time that Dookeran has mentioned that. All through the campaign for the Nov. 5 general election, Dookeran and his political colleagues rejected the UNC-A's overtures out of hand. There was never any talk of discussions on that matter.

Some COP members even derided Basdeo Panday's invitation to merge the two parties, saying that the UNC-A only wanted to do it because it was unable to survive alone and find candidates to fight the general election.

And Dookeran had stated publicly that there would be no deal with Basdeo Panday as the head of the UNC-A. The COP said it would discuss a merger if Kamla Persad-Bissessar were the party's leader.

When that failed, COP pleaded publicly to Bissessar to leave the UNC-A and join them; she rejected that, stayed with her party, and won back her Siparia seat.

Dookeran is now saying that the idea of a deal with the UNC-A for the local election has been raised at party meetings, adding that no decision has been made.

At the same time he is saying COP will maintain its integrity and "offer the country a real alternative and will not compromise our position."

He said there is a committee looking at the strategy for local government elections and the party was engaged in dialogue with the public. He promised to outline COP's position at a national council meeting on April 6.

With regard to dissent within the party, Dookeran said anyone is free to challenge him for the leadership. "We have a party with a procedure for the election of leader. Anyone is free to challenge the leader via the council," he said.

Dookeran himself has never been elected leader of the COP. He was acclaimed leader because of the urgency of preparing for the general election.

He said the COP remains a legitimate political player although it does not have a seat in Parliament. "We have received 23 per cent of votes in the general election and came second in 22 of 42 constituencies,” he said.