-No longer UNC's political leader -Forms Congress of the People before thousands
With hands outstretched and to the cheers of thousands of people, St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran gave up the political leadership of the Opposition party to form a new political movement.
This now leaves the United National Congress without a political leader and with a potential new party to battle with in the next general election.
Dookeran began his new chapter in politics at his Congress of the People held yesterday at the multi-million-dollar Centre of Excellence in Macoya which is owned by United National Congress deputy political leader Jack Warner.
Before a packed hall at the Centre, which Dookeran team member and Pointe-a-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky declared to be filled with 15,000 people by 3 p.m., Dookeran ended months of speculation about his role in the UNC.
"Today, I am relinquishing my leadership of the UNC. I have a bigger job to do," he said to a standing ovation.
Just before his address, those at the congress voted in favour of a motion mandating Dookeran to "lead a political party that will carry us to victory in the next general election and allow us to stand tall again under the principles of integrity, morality and democracy."
During his address, Dookeran referred to that motion.
"I now answer your call to serve, and to serve this country deeply, to create a political organisation that can harness and release the potential of our people, to immediately prepare for the next general elections, to form the next Government of Trinidad and Tobago and to build a strong country and a united nation," he said.
"Let it be known from today onwards that the main challenger to the PNM shall be known as the Congress of the People."
Dookeran, however, did not announce that his new movement is a political party even though many anticipate that is what it will soon become.
Asked by the Express after the congress, a senior Dookeran team member said that his new movement already had a party symbol and was set to register it with the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
In his address, Dookeran did not declare the Congress of the People to be closed to the UNC membership.
"A new political house for all our UNC members and for all the citizens of our country is now under construction," he said.
Dookeran said he had no-ill feeling for the members of the UNC executive who moved a vote of no-confidence in him and said they no longer acknowledged him as their party's political leader.
"But I know, I know, that the executive can feel what they wish and remove me as leader but in the hearts and the minds of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, I shall not be removed from the politics of this country," he said.
Dookeran also paid tribute to UNC founder and former prime minister Basdeo Panday who had endorsed the St Augustine MP for the post of UNC political leader which he won uncontested at the party's internal election last year.
"Today, I want to acknowledge Mr Panday's excellent contribution to the politics of our country," he said.
"We must go on. Changes happen. It is happening right now."
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161011389
