In an interview with the Guardian Media, Dr Hamid Ghany said, "The COP has miscalculated what they need to get across. He (Ramadhar) ought not to have gone public before they held the private meeting."
Ghany added, "As a consequence of going public so soon, the leader has boxed himself into a corner. He has publicly stated what his position is and then gone into private meetings. It should have been the other way around. He should have held his hand and then speak publicly afterwards.”
Ghany pointed out that the fact that Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) leader Ashworth Jack was designated as the spokesperson for the partnership following Thursday's meeting of the partnership is significant.
“It further emphasises the point that there was a miscalculation on the leader’s part in respect to the COP,” he said.
According to Ghany, Ramadhar personally made a bad choice by speaking publicly and there may be further ramifications inside the COP.
"There may be further events that may unfold depending on the outcome tomorrow (Sunday) regarding the talks. Seeing that the COP leader has already advertised his position he does not have much negotiating to do in the meetings,” Ghany said.
“What essentially has happened is that there may have been a fall-out and they said nothing for two years. The problem the COP is grappling with is Coudray’s personal choice to switch allegiances.
"She took a personal risk and got elected. I do not think a lot of this would have been going on if she had lost. There is a lot of bad history and it goes back to who was chosen to fight the San Fernando West seat.”
Dr Bishnu Ragoonath also spoke with the Guardian, pointing out that if Ramadhar doesn't get his way he would be in an embarrassing situation.
“If he does not get what he wants, the COP leader is going to find himself in a very difficult position,” he declared. Ragoonath said the demands by the COP leader were premature and suggested that the COP must be mindful that the political party cannot stand alone.
“He is under pressure within his own party to decide whether he is going to walk or not. What the leader did was to set the stage to walk away if he did not get his way. If, for some reason, things do not go in his favour, he may very well have to walk away, without the full support of the membership,” Ragoonath told the Guardian.
Read related GUARDIAN story
According to Ghany, Ramadhar personally made a bad choice by speaking publicly and there may be further ramifications inside the COP.
"There may be further events that may unfold depending on the outcome tomorrow (Sunday) regarding the talks. Seeing that the COP leader has already advertised his position he does not have much negotiating to do in the meetings,” Ghany said.
“What essentially has happened is that there may have been a fall-out and they said nothing for two years. The problem the COP is grappling with is Coudray’s personal choice to switch allegiances.
"She took a personal risk and got elected. I do not think a lot of this would have been going on if she had lost. There is a lot of bad history and it goes back to who was chosen to fight the San Fernando West seat.”
Dr Bishnu Ragoonath also spoke with the Guardian, pointing out that if Ramadhar doesn't get his way he would be in an embarrassing situation.
“If he does not get what he wants, the COP leader is going to find himself in a very difficult position,” he declared. Ragoonath said the demands by the COP leader were premature and suggested that the COP must be mindful that the political party cannot stand alone.
“He is under pressure within his own party to decide whether he is going to walk or not. What the leader did was to set the stage to walk away if he did not get his way. If, for some reason, things do not go in his favour, he may very well have to walk away, without the full support of the membership,” Ragoonath told the Guardian.
Read related GUARDIAN story
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