“This is a kangaroo court. I was never given a chance to talk to the COP political leader and I was never officially informed that my membership was revoked.” These were the words of an upset Manohar Ramsaran yesterday, after hearing that Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar had expelled him from the party for undergoing screening to contest the Chaguanas West by-election on a United National Congress (UNC) ticket.
In a press release, Ramadhar said Ramsaran never consulted with the party when he decided to be screened, although he was a financial member of the COP. “The COP has not received any form of resignation from Ramsaran. The COP’s constitution does not permit dual party membership. So Mr Ramsaran’s decision to join and contest elections on behalf of another political party, forfeits his membership in the COP,” Ramadhar explained.
“In order to clear up any doubt which may arise, the COP wishes to make it abundantly clear that there is no COP candidate in the Chaguanas West by-election. There will be only one candidate in that election on behalf of the PP coalition and that candidate will be chosen by the UNC.” Former MP and UNC chairman Jack Warner, who was also screened, said it was a mystery why Ramsaran was screened in the first place, as he was not a UNC member.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bisessar, who recused herself from screening, told CNC3 news at Rienzi Complex on Tuesday night that Ramsaran could not contest because he is not a member of the UNC. However, Ramsaran yesterday said COP and UNC were the same. He said he got the blessing of former COP leader Winston Dookeran to go for screening but never got a chance to speak to Ramadhar.
He said he also spoke to Ramadhar’s secretary, seeking a meeting with him, but this never materialised, and also told COP chairman Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan about his intentions, but was never advised against it. Asked how he could be screened when he was not a member of the UNC, Ramsaran said the two parties shared the same ideology.
“The COP and the UNC are both part of the People’s Partnership and I never make a distinction between both parties. The fact is we are now in government and I believe these decisions should not be made as to how we are going to divide them and that is how I stand,” Ramsaran said. Ramsaran expressed disappointment at Ramadhar’s decision to revoke his membership.
“I have accepted and I want to take responsibility for what happened, I hold no malice to the UNC leadership,” Ramsaran said. The UNC will announce the successful candidate at a meeting in Felicity tomorrow. Contacted yesterday, Seepersad-Bachan denied that Ramsaran told her he was going up for screening. “He told me that he was appearing on a platform, not screening,” Seepersad-Bachan said.
She added that Ramsaran’s membership was automatically revoked because he cannot be a member of two parties. Eight candidates were screened on Tuesday night. These included Ramsaran, Warner, Khadijah Ameen, Pundit Satyanand Mahabir, Mantab Mohammed, Harry Monian, Harrydath Maharaj and Manohar Singh. Ameen said if she is chosen, she will have to resign as acting UNC chairman and as a councillor. She chairs the Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation.
Warner has already predicted that he would not be chosen, saying yesterday he had been told Ameen would be the candidate.