Winston Dookeran has said it is unfortunate that Sports Minister Anil Roberts resorted to "falsehoods" to attack his colleague, Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.
The political leader of the Congress of the People (COP) was commenting on the public statements by Roberts suggesting that one of the reasons why Seepersad-Bachan was removed as energy minister was because she kept former PNM advisers within the ministry.
He also suggested that she had not seized oipportunities for Foreign Direct Investment in the energy sector.
"I think it is more than unfortunate what Mr Anil Roberts has said, especially as a current member of Cabinet, and implying issues that have led to her removal that are false," Dookeran said Tuesday night.
"The concept of collective responsibility has been flouted in the face of the Partnership in the face of his comments," the finance minister added.
While the COP expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's decision to move Seepersad-Bachan as Minister of Energy, Roberts supported it.
Roberts is one of four candidates running in Sunday's COP internal leadership election. In response to his comments, Seepersad-Bachan has called for his disqualification as a candidate.
Dookeran did not go that far. he also said he would not endorse any of the candidates. However he disagreed with the suggestion that Seepersad-Bachan was removed from energy for non-performance.
"I don't think performance was the issue. I think the Prime Minister herself said that she (Seepersad-Bachan) had built a foundation, and I think we owe a sense of gratitude to her for having done so."
He said while COP is disappointed with the shift of Seepersad-Bachan to Public Administration and the removal of Senator Patrick Watson the part recognises that it must accept these as part of the reality of coalition politics.
"I have told my colleagues that let us not forget that we are a member of the Partnership and, therefore, within that context, there is need to set up the institutions that will allow us to have more collaboration on issues pertaining to governance and appointments," Dookeran said.
"Anyone who believes they can operate unitary parties in a coalition context is not reading the politics of Trinidad and Tobago today, and I believe that should be the first agenda item on the new dialogue that must take place in the aftermath of the elections of the COP," said Dookeran.
He said while COP is disappointed with the shift of Seepersad-Bachan to Public Administration and the removal of Senator Patrick Watson the part recognises that it must accept these as part of the reality of coalition politics.
"I have told my colleagues that let us not forget that we are a member of the Partnership and, therefore, within that context, there is need to set up the institutions that will allow us to have more collaboration on issues pertaining to governance and appointments," Dookeran said.
"Anyone who believes they can operate unitary parties in a coalition context is not reading the politics of Trinidad and Tobago today, and I believe that should be the first agenda item on the new dialogue that must take place in the aftermath of the elections of the COP," said Dookeran.
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