Congress of the People (COP) chairman Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan says the party has drained its accounts to pay for public meetings and advertisements in the lead-up to Monday’s by-election for Chaguanas West seat. Both Seepersad-Bachan and party leader Prakash Ramadhar have also dismissed allegations by Independent Liberal Party (ILP) interim leader Jack Warner that a contractor paid for COP’s public meeting and advertising at Felicity Hindu School on July 16.
Speaking at a COP meeting at Gaston Courts, Chaguanas, on Monday night, Seepersad-Bachan reinforced the COP’s support for the People’s Partnership and its candidate Khadijah Ameen, who is going up against Warner. Asking the crowd if they heard Warner’s question about how COP funded its Felicity meeting, she said, “Let me tell you, we are glad for the opportunity to go on record about who paid for that meeting. The COP is a party of principle and we paid that money from our account.
“We virtually drained our account.” She said the party had paid WinTV $35,000 for coverage. “And I could provide you with a copy of that cheque.” Denying that funding came from a contractor, she said the money was paid from the account to which members make their monthly contributions. “In COP we have no big donors. This party is not owned by any big donor...We don’t even have any donor more than $20,000.” She said even if the party had to sell cakes to pay its outstanding bills, it would do so.
Turning the tables on the former Chaguanas West MP, she called on Warner to reveal how he was funding his media coverage and advertisements for the by-election. Also calling on women in political parties to condemn the denigration of women in politics, she added: “I am not interested in any medical records of Khadijah Ameen. I am interested in what she can do for Chaguanas West.”
Referring to Warner’s allegations, Ramadhar said the COP could not be bought by anyone. Recalling that the party had held corn soup sales and other activities to raise funds, he said: “Please, anybody who want to make contributions to us, come, we need it.” Saying that COP’s own executive members were falling for “the foolishness,” he said: “This is the time when we must clear our eyes, minds and our spirits from all allegations, rumours and bad talk in this party.”