Chairmen of PP coalition agree on recommendations for stronger partnership

Chairman of four of the five groups that make up the People's Partnership coalition met Monday to discuss several issues affection the political coalition and agreed on recommendations to be submitted to their political leaders. The Representative of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) was unable to attend.

Government senator David Abdullah, who chaired the meeting, said the discussions were cordial but did not give any specifics on what the party officials discussed.

"We had an excellent meeting and what we have discussed is a number of recommendations which will be forwarded to the political leaders of all five parties in the partnership, for their decision and action and we are very confident about not only the strength but the unity of the People's Partnership and our recommendations we are sure are going to see the partnership sustain itself and grow from strength to strength in the days and weeks ahead," Abdullah told reporters at a news conference following the talks.

Abdullah said the coalition would provide details of the recommendation "when those things have been decided upon and approved by the political leaders...we are not at liberty at this point in time to say what are our recommendations".

The chairman of the United National Congress, Jack Warner, said: "At the end of the day, I'm quite sure that the Partnership will be stronger for it. That we can tell you."

Warner had been critical of the Congress of the People (COP) for making negative statements about the People's Partnership and had invited COP chairman Joseph Toney for discussions. 

Instead of a one-to-one meeting with Warner, Toney called a meeting of all five chairman.