‘We’re coming out with our own ideas’

"We have no alliances with any existing party. We are coming out with our own ideas and programmes and we are willing to engage with all the other forces that are out there," Meighoo said. He said the group was formed in response to numerous concerns expressed about the state of the country.

"Our country is in such a desperate state that we can no longer simply speak about changing governments," he said. "We have spent over $73 billion over the past three years, yet the citizens still flee from crime, small-mindedness, and dearth of opportunities, while others warn of a failing state. "C4TAP is a group of patriots committed to acting as catalysts to ensure political transformation, a new kind of politics, that is inclusive of everyone, seriously tackling reform of the State and governance, the transformation of the onshore economy, and arresting the rampant criminality that has destroyed so many lives and traumatised the entire nation."

Other committee members of C4TAP include; Sonja Gopeesingh Luckhoo, a human rights activist; Hugh Wooding-Thomas, a real estate developer who is C4TAP’s Secretary; attorney Darrell Allahar, C4TAP Chairman and attorney Nisha Mathura Allahar, who is the group’s treasurer.

Members of C4TAP say their goal is political transformation, including reform of State and governance, building of an independent economy that can survive a decline in prices or in foreign investments and the security of citizens.

"We need to create a form of government and citizenship that lives up to the ideals of a self governing democratic republic, creating a flagship model of independent statehood in the Caribbean and beyond," a document put out by the group stated.

The group is calling for Commissions of Inquiry into the 1990 Coup, "irregularities" within the Elections and Boundaries Commission, cost over-runs in public works, corruption in the Police Service, URP and CEPEP projects, drug trafficking and money laundering.

C4TAP has implemented programmes to engage a wide cross section of individuals and institutions nationwide in debate on the truth about Government commission, security and crime and building an independent economy. Present at yesterday’s launch was former UNC Minister John Humphrey, mas designer Peter Minshall, Independent Senator Angela Cropper; MP Gillian Lucky and President of the TT Chapter of Disabled People’s International (DPI), George Daniel.