Congress of the People (COP) Deputy Leader Wendy Lee Yuen suggested Monday that her party might have to consider running candidates in all 41 constituencies in a general election if a unity deal is not stuck quickly with the opposition United National Congress (UNC). That conflicts with what COP leader Winston Dookeran has said.
Dookeran is in India on a lecture tour, but before leaving Trinidad he met with his UNC counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar and announced that both parties had agreed in principle that they would work together to ensure that there would be a one-on-one contest in the next general election.
Read the story: COP, UNC agree to two-way contest for next election
A report on TV6 in Trinidad Monday night quoted Lee Yuen as saying that while COP is still hoping for an alliance with the UNC, it is concerned at the slow pace in concluding negotiations.
She said the UNC remains "a worthy ally" in the efforts to rid the country of the Manning regime but at the same time if the UNC doesn't respond to calls to join forces with COP the party would have to consider the alternatives.
She said, "We are not begging anybody, but the country is calling for unity, and if we the leaders do not respond to the needs and wants of the people, then we are all going to go down together."
Lee Yuen added, "We in the Congress of the People are not closing our doors to anyone. Our doors are open, come and talk. This is a collaborative effort to save Trinidad and Tobago and we are going to go the full length of the battle with whoever is ready."
The Party has sent a working document to the UNC outlining proposals for a political accommodation, but there has not yet been a formal response from the UNC.
The UNC has appointed a powerful team to deal with the unity issue comprising its three deputy political leaders and its vice chairman. Its initial mandate was to report back by June, but with talk of an imminent election, the party is accelerating its unity agenda.
The UNC's unity chairman Dr Roodal Moonilal said Monday he has advanced the time line and is currently dealing with a review of COP's unity document as well as dozens of other submissions.
Moonilal insisted that any unity agreement must be sustainable. He said there is consensus on both sides that unity is necessary, so it's now a matter of working on the final details.
These include a decision of candidates for each of the 41 and agreement on a common manifesto.
Lee Yuen admitted that COP recognises that it cannot win a general election alone. However she said in the absence of a definite commitment from the UNC the party will go ahead with screening candidates for 41 constituencies, beginning Wednesday.
The UNC is also screening candidates for all constituencies but has indicated that this is its normal process in order to prepare for an election.
Once the two parties meet again, they plan to work out the specific details about the candidate selection and a joint platform.
LeeYuen is still hoping that a unity deal will come soon and she said the people will determine who will lead.
"I am not going to worry about who is going to emerge as the leader... the people will make that decision when the time comes," she said.
The UNC leader is on an overseas visit to Florida and is expected back home Tuesday. Dookeran is expected to return to Trinidad by the end of the week.
UNC Chairman Jack Warner is in South Korea on official business and plans to be home by Wednesday morning.
There is strong speculation that Prime Minister Patrick manning will call an election on Friday. That's the date the UNC is motion a no confidence motion in Manning.
1 comment:
Negotiations only can take place between equals.
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