Leadership Matters... (on the Election for COP Leader)

Listening to the first debate between the candidates contesting the upcoming election for political leader of the Congress of the People, all I can say is that the differences in agendas are being exposed and the glaring inconsistencies being demonstrated for all to see and I hope the members are listening.

There is no escaping the reality that not everyone who wants to lead should, and the membership of this Party really need to be cautious as to what they do with their political future. I have heard some say that if one or two of the candidates really do live up to the rumor of merging the COP with the UNC we will leave and start over as if starting a political Party was such an easy exercise. It's not, and to further exacerbate the problem, many who labored to carve this Party out of thin air and hard stone may no longer be available to do so again. The expense in blood, sweat and tears must not be taken for granted and the membership would do themselves an injustice if they diminished the effort expended building the Party in the first place by squandering its legacy that cheaply.

The candidates all have intentions but only one has an agenda that is in the best interest of the Party, the members and the country as a whole, and that is the vision to grow, deepen and develop the Party as put forward by Vernon De Lima. Prakash's cautious tone about not upsetting the partnership is the exact reason why the COP is a second class citizen in a victory it not only earned, it created, and were it not for the efforts of Mr. De Lima and other members of the COP, the PNM would still be in Office today. Why others have been allowed to romp home with the prize of those efforts is still beyond me and I hope to understand this particular situation better one day.

Anil sounds effective at stirring the masses if Egypt was what we wanted, but it's not. What we want is calm, rational, decisive leadership that understands what it means to be an all inclusive, middle of the road, National Party and what it takes to get there. Fancy words and grand charge is good for nothing at this point and Mr. Roberts is doing everyone but his handlers a huge disservice by staying in the race. 

Prakash Ramadhar has no clue as to how to get from where we are to where we want to be because he has neither the time, the length, nor the inclination to play in this wicket. There is a leadership up for grabs and like anyone who has walked two steps behind a leader he hopes to pick up what the leader puts down. Fair enough, but what this leader is putting down is a mantle for change, for new politics as a real destination, not a fancy buzz word or an entry on a resume. the Leadership of the COP is not a badge, it is an undertaking that requires vision, ability but most importantly time.

This is the heart of Mr. De Lima's candidacy and neither Ramadhar nor Roberts gets it. The COP ought not to be negotiating with any other political institution at this point if said institutions are not prepared to show it equal respect. The Party has the promise of governance as its inheritance and destiny and this should not be squandered or given away in a beauty contest.

I have been very disappointed in Anil's term as an MP and more so as a Minister as he brought crassness to the House and disrespect to his Office. Rumors of drunken binges and bloodshot photos from ill conceived concerts do not a leader make and Mr. Roberts needs to mature some more before he claims more than his hands are presently set up to hold.

Prakash Ramadhar got into Office and disappeared. That cannot be expunged from his record of Party service no matter what he says and how eloquently he says it. I have no doubt that he was about the people's business and I have said before and I say again he is an excellent number two man and he should be kept in that position. He has many of the attributes of a number one, but he is lacking some key components that again, only time can bring.

Vernon De Lima has made himself completely available for the task of growing the Congress of the People into a national political party, one capable of standing on its own and challenging and beating all comers. He should be encouraged and assisted in this regard as that is the ONLY way that the Party, its members and the country will benefit.

Brothers and sisters in the Congress of the People, you hold in your hands the hope of an entire country and the promise of a better tomorrow for all. I urge you to consider this responsibility carefully and to exercise your right to vote by voting for the right man. In these instances and for the foreseeable future, Vernon De Lima is the best hope for the future for our Party, its members and all of our people as a whole.

There is more to leadership than getting up and going; to be an effective leader one has to know where to go in the first place...