Stronger than ever: COP reaffirms commitment to PP

The flags in the huge crowd at Mid centre mall Friday celebrating the People's partnership third anniversary in government included COP white alongside UNC yellow, along with the national flag, symbolising strength in unity.

And both Winston Dookeran, the founding leader of COP, and the party's current leader Prakash Ramadhar, pledged continuing support for the People's Partnership.

Dookeran read excerpts from his speech on April 21, 2010 at Charlie King Junction when five leaders affixed their signatures on the Fyzabad Declaration that created the Partnership and declared that he and his party would continue to support the coalition. He reminded COP supporters that they gave him that mandate and he would not deviate from it.

Section 6(c) of the Fyzabad Declaration states:The Partners commit to adopt Principles and Codes of Conduct whereby the interest of our beloved Country is and shall be put before party and individual self-interest and as a Government comprising the Partners they will implement a Public Policy Program to improve the quality of life of the People of Trinidad and Tobago based on shared principles of National Development and national unity.
(Read the declaration)

Unlike the event in 2012 which came as the MSJ was leaving the coaltion and COP was cool to the idea of a "celebration", Ramadhar was full of enthusiasm Friday night. He not only pledged his continuing support for the Partnership and all that it is doing to improve then lives of citizens he predicted that the PP would be in government long after the 2015 general election.

And he said his party would sponsor the 4th anniversary celebration in 2014.

Errol McLeod, who headed the MSJ and signed the declaration on behalf of the group said he is not sure if the MSJ continues to exist but made it clear that he is no longer a part of it. He scoffed at the idea that some people have tried to diminish his role in the group, noting that while he is not the "founding father" he gave life to the movement. "And no one can remove my signature" from the  accord that created the partnership.

He also said no one can erase his contribution to the labour movement in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean and pledged to continue to fight for the working class.

TOP Leader Ashworth Jack also pledged his party's support for the partnership as did the NJAC representative, who brought greetings on behalf of his leader, Makandal Daaga, noting that the partnership is the realisation of the NJAC dream to unite the various ethnic groups in the country, especially those of Indians and African origin.

Jack spoke of the value of unity and declared that so long as the PP remains a united political force, nothing can topple it.