NEWSDAY JUNE 09, 2K14 Carolyn’s constituency chairman supports Prakash for leader By RICHARDSON DHALAI Monday, June 9 2014 CONGRESS of the People (COP) San Fernando West constituency chairman, Dave Arjoonsingh yesterday expressed support for incumbent political leader Prakash Ramadhar for party’s June 29 elections. Whilst Ramadhar’s contender for political leadership is the constituency’s parliamentary representative — Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan — Arjoonsingh told Newsday Ramadhar’s endorsement was his personal choice. He said the party’s constituency executive, however, had taken a decision not to endorse any candidate for the leadership post, but advised members that they were free to endorse any of the four contenders vying for the political leadership of the COP. Seepersad-Bachan, who is COP’s chairman, is Ramadhar’s main opposition. Arjoonsingh said yesterday, “On May 20, well before the internal elections, at a meeting of the executive, it was agreed that the executive would not endorse any candidate as an executive, but members would be free to endorse or work with any candidate in their private capacity.” The constituency’s executive consists of nine members and function out of the constituency’s offices on the corner of Keith and Gordon Street, San Fernando. Arjoonsingh said he was supporting Ramadhar’s re-election campaign, ‘because Mr. Ramadhar has done a lot to promote and build the COP over the past three years.’ ‘Mr Ramadhar inherited a difficult situation just one year into the life of the country’s first coalition government. There were no rules of engagement with the other coalition partners nor clearly-stated methods for dealing with governance issues. For that reason, Mr. Ramadhar was forced to navigate uncharted waters and he still managed to achieve quite a lot for the COP within the coalition,” he said. Arjoonsingh also said that certain pieces of legislation which have been passed in Parliament, emanated from the COP. And regarding the much touted view that Ramadhar was seen as a ‘weak leader’, Arjoonsingh said: “The opposite is in fact true. Mr Ramadhar has had to stand defiantly against a small but loud group within his own party who have been consistent in their demand for the COP to quit the People’s Partnership.” Arjoonsingh said, “The political leader showed great strength in the face of all those calls and it was his ability to mix diplomacy with a firm hand, which has allowed the government to deliver many of its campaign promises to citizens.” As for his decision not to instead support Seepersad-Bachan, Arjoonsingh commented: “Ramadhar is the better candidate to take the party and the country forward”.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:34:58 +0000