A Matter of Trust..... (Ulterior Ultimatums...)

“Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it's really just a question of when...”

Billy Joel – A Matter of Trust

What remains of the leadership of the Congress of the People called an emergency meeting to make an earth shaking announcement that did not even make top of news much less shake the earth. That the announcement came in the form of something like an ultimatum to their coalition partner based on the abandonment/defection/poaching (depends on which side you're looking at it from) of San Fernando Mayor Marlene Coudray is almost funny as Marlene is sticking to her guns that neither she nor her appointment belonged to the COP and further, is publicly daring them to prove otherwise. Prakash Ramadhar, in trying to keep up with his own head of steam and that of his new and trusty sidekick Joseph Toney is insisting on their right to some redress here, and while he and they cannot actually claim Marlene herself as their property, they are trying to make a case that if not her then at least their appointment of her is, causing barely a ripple in the UNC and causing many to wonder what happens if the UNC calls their bluff?

First off in my view, this issue is not a Partnership issue and I would dare say the current leadership of the COP is playing fast and loose with this red herring. There are many reasons for the COP and other partners of the partnership to call the UNC to book, but this sadly is not one of them. Noam Chomsky once noted that the best way to repress a nation is by manufacturing dissent. You cannot tell the population on one hand when it suits you that the partnership is stronger than ever, and turn around in response to your own poor leadership and call the partnership fragile. It does not work that way. The current leadership of the COP is like a boat without a rudder being piloted by three blind mice. Neither Prakash Ramadhar, Joseph Toney or Nirad Tewari have what it takes to be occupying the positions they now occupy, and more than a call to mash up the partnership, the membership needs to call for a strengthened coalition with a better hand dealt for the COP under strong and capable leadership able to grow the party.

Handing out ultimatums must be predicated on both sides at least having a fair chance in the fight. From their perspective the UNC has no reason to fear a recalcitrant COP as their actions and responses spell out quite clearly the contempt they already have for the COP's position. UNC party spokesperson Roodal Moonilal just about said 'if you don't like it leave,' so methinks the COP's protest is now a dollar short and a day too late to have any real effect.

The bitter reality at this point is if the PP was to break now the ONLY casualty would be the COP. The remaining membership will be left with little choice and will either all cross over to the UNC to defend whatever handout they were already getting surreptitiously, or they will leave in disgust and wait for another version of the Party of Hope to rise.

This conversation has everything to do with the membership of the COP and nothing to do with the UNC. The leadership is staring down the double barrels of failure and allegations of incompetence and they need to decide if they have what it takes to fight this fight. Regardless of how they feel the party still belongs to the members and the members need to get themselves involved. This is a serious internal matter that needs to be dealt with seriously if the COP is to survive.

“Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until its only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust.....”