Power to the people; Dookeran says Panday, Manning irrelevant

Winston Dookeran went back to school Tuesday night.

The Congress of the People (COP) leader stood in the Rio Claro Hindu school, which he attended as a boy, and told supporters about his new politics that got him in trouble with his colleagues in the United National Congress (UNC) and the politics that would free them from PNM rule.

"I stood up with courage in Mid Centre Mall and told the UNC...how to do it. But instead of listening to me...they decided that they will boo me," he said in reference to the turning point that caused him to walk away from the UNC and form COP.

"My Friends, since that day in Mid Centre Mall, we started to build an organization based on a new set of ideas...We may have had a disappointment...That is part of it, I shared in it, and I know it!"

However although he called losing the 2007 election a disappointment he explained that it not necessarily so because he expected stumbling blocks in an infant party that had barely a year to educate the masses and run an election campaign.

And he pointed to the COP's performance at the polls to illustrate that the party made a quantum leap in gaining national support, despite not winning a single seat.

"In 22 of the 41 one seats, this party ran second...and those 22 seats were not only seats in South and Central Trinidad. They included seats in Northern Trinidad and that is where our power lies," Dookeran said.

He assured his audience that the party has been building strength since the last election and reminded them of the message he has been sending over the past several weeks about Prime Minister Patrick Manning and UNC leader Basdeo Panday.

"They want us to feel that all power lies in them. Power comes out of courage and you know what I mean. Power of the people and it is in your hands. It is not in my hands, it is not in my colleagues’ hands," he told supporters.

The COP leader talked about a feeling of hopeless among the population born out of fear and neglect. And he spoke of unity.

He said standing in Rio Claro reminded him of what true unity is because the Rio Claro community is one that has always been united.

He charged that politicians are keeping Trinidad and Tobago divided and denying people of their happiness and the achievement of their goals.

"If we want to have a new Trinidad and Tobago, if we want to embrace what is going to take place in the future internationally and locally, we must not allow those leaders who are in the departure lounge to hold us back," he said in reference to Manning and Panday.

"I propose today that the only party that can reflect the unity of Trinidad and Tobago without having to construct it is the Congress of the People. We don’t have to construct unity, we don’t have to meet anyone to make unity, because we are unity itself," he declared.

Dookeran sounded like a man getting ready to get into government.

"I am from Rio Claro and in the next government I will ensure that Rio Claro becomes one of the centre points of Trinidad and Tobago," he said.

And he reminded the people where true power lies. "The power is in your hands, political power is in our hands, and I want to end by telling you that that is the power that you must exercise.

"Don’t come and tell me about constructing unity, you have to create the unity that you want. What I could tell you is that I will hold on to all the principles of good governance.

"If you want a future with Manning and Panday then you can have them" he said.

"But if you want a future that is different from what the past is then you have to come with the Congress of the People and that choice resides in your hands."