Rising Time Again....

Both the United National Congress and the Congress of the People have scheduled internal Party elections for this year and many people are asking why?

Why stay separate yet politically joined?

With the minority Opposition in disarray and incapable of mounting anything like a challenge for Governance, what could be the purpose of remaining a coalition?

To fight whom, The ghost of Christmas past?

And if (as some within the organization say) the ideal situation is a coalition as it represents unity, why not invite the PNM to join then and do away with the Parliament altogether? 

What keeps them out?

What purpose does this 'Partnership' serve?

The truth of the matter is we do not need a coalition Government anymore and those continuously promoting it are guilty of at least misleading the people. Further, because of the 'one sided' nature of the seat allocations in the House of Representatives, the Parliament is weaker for it. The country would be much better served by a once again 'independent' Congress of the People, free of being tethered to the UNC and able to vote conscience and Party line for and against the Government in the best interest of the people on national issues.

Supporters and Members alike MUST know that this term is the only term in Government the COP will ever see if business as usual continues. Regardless of the symbolic 'internal' elections about to take place, the COP is percieved to be slowly deflating and losing any grip on the politics and its members. That is not to say that Prakash, and Winston and Anil and others are not in Government, it just says that the COP and PP uniforms they are wearing are playing to a crowd that has already seen through the ruse.

Why not end the charade; disrobe the pretense and join as one Party, or leave and go it alone. For the UNC the loss of the 'special majority' the COP brings will be staggering to their agenda, but to the Congress of the People, this literally presents their moment to rise.

Think about it; harnessing the ability to make and break policy from a true Congress of the People position will deliver much to their suport base and could essentially harness the disenchanted PNM and UNC as well as non-aligned voters who, willing to do and say anything to get Manning out of Government, are disgusted with the goings on and the potential abuse to come with the UNC.

Take the issues of Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh; can the COP rank and file members stomach the Government not  extraditing them to answer charges in the United States for crimes committed there?

Of course not, because they and the rest of their bandit crew who raided the Treasury last time around in their Airport and other schemes are one of the main reasons the COP exists.

Do the executive members have a UNC position on this or a COP one?

And how will they reconcile themselves and their record if and when Anand eventually frees Ish & Steve completely as the tea leaves portend?

Will they remain COP, hypocrisy of publicly stated position notwithstanding?

Brian Kuie Tung, Renee Pierre and others were rumored to be actively fundraising for the UNC prior to May 24th despite having pending cases before the Courts, what is the COP position on that? 

Or Carlos John's alleged involvement in at least one current MP leaving his previous career to get on board, is this okay from a Congress of the People stand point?

Does 'politics' really have a morality of its own?

If the COP is no longer the Party of the moral center they need to cease the pretense, because the people who still support them based on this 'ideology' need to know. Lying now will seal many a political fate permanently, as this would be seen to be calculated, cold blooded deceit and a manipulation of the people for personal gain, again.

With all of the above in mind, I am calling on the executive of the Congress of the People to enunciate a position on the following before any internal elections:

• The not yet executed extradition of Ish & Steve
• The continuation of Emmanuelle George in his Ministerial post despite substantive allegations of impropriety
• The prosecution of the Airports 6, 10 and fifteen
• The prosecution of Calder Hart
• The investigation into the 2 million dollar flag at the National Stadium with a view to bringing charges against the corrupt
• The investigation into and prosecution of the developers behind the sliding townhouse project
• The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the CL/CLICO debacle and the HCU collapse with a view to prosecuting those found guilty of malfeasance and any other corrupt enrichment and impropriety

The supporters of the Party are intelligent enough to keep this discussion alive despite moves to deflect and distract being orchestrated from within this 'alliance', and this more than any other conversation is what is being talked about by the people of this country who are still disgruntled by what currently obtains as politics and Government in T&T.

The supporters of the Congress of the People are a centrist and diverse bunch, not driven by racial leanings or religious persuasions in our politics.

We demand integrity in Public Life, we insist on morality in Government and are driven by the desire to unite all of Trinidad & Tobago equally and equitably.

Based on the Party's response or lack of one to these and other festering issues, we ourselves may have decisions to make.

It may yet be time to rise....