More than an Election...

From every perspective the Congress of the People is a 'minor' Party; not yet a national one by any means and stagnated in its growth since joining the People's Partnership coalition last general election, its existence creates a space for politial expression otherwise controlled by special interests on both sides of the political divide.

The heavy rollers and visionaries of the Party went from finding ways to take it to the big time to getting State Board positions, contracts and CEPEPS for friends almost overnight (you know the supporter gravy train), grinding any and all forward momentum to a halt and settling the Party down in closely associated government.

Inconsequential to most in the grand scheme of things, the power of the COP is that of 'Spoiler' as it was singularly responsible for putting the PNM back into Office in '07 and just as responsible for taking them out again in 2010, not bad for a minor Party; and while I understand the need to secure and enrich friends of the Party as is (sadly) the way of Trini Politics, instead of growing forward it risks stagnating, dying and taking with it that last vestige of middle ground power that could sway an election and that could be used to keep at least some of our politics issues driven.

The COP Elections Commission has officially announced the date of the elections for the Political Leader as Sunday 3rd July, 2011.

On that day Mr. Winston Dookeran, the last standing champion of the center in local politics will be challenged for his position as political leader of the Party by both Prakash Ramadhar and Anil Roberts, neither of whom are in the Party's best interest for many reasons. Both excellent 'Number 2' men in a hierarchy, they would make terrible 'Number 1' men especially since neither have expressed anything like a national vision for the COP outside of their own personal interests and that of their supporters.

This is not meant to be an all out bash Anil and Prakash piece as I believe them to be men of good character for the most part and responsible for their share of where the COP is today. That said, it is also my belief that their ambitions and their reliance on immediate political expediency may see them far more willing to merge or assimilate the COP into the UNC, robbing those of the center on whose backs and feet the Party was built of their refuge and their hope.

Anil Roberts is seen by many to be firmly in the pocket of Jack Warner who already controls the other major Party in the coalition, and Prakash Ramadhar sadly does not possess the raw political acumen and vision vital and necessary to take the Party beyond its current moorings.

I have suggested on many occasions in many places that the team that are supposed to be leading the COP now is Vernon De Lima, Robert Mayers and Wendy Lee Yeun, and I have even offered to serve on the campaign team if Mr. De Lima throws his hat into the ring.

From where I stand the future of the Congress of the People and the hopes and dreams of all its founding members rests on the results of the upcoming internal leadership elections, and the people of Trinidad & Tobago have as much to lose as anyone else depending on the outcome.

Should the worst occur and the center is abdicated to history, the PNM and the UNC will become more entrenched as racist havens rather than national Parties and the real games of political brinksmanship will begin in ernest to the detriment of all of us.

As it stands and because of all of this, the Congress of the People remains the single most important link in our politics now, and it is time for those mentioned here and others of similar bent and ilk to step up and do the right thing for the sake of the Party, its members and for the nation as a whole.