Dookeran puts down his foot

The recount snatched victory by 50 votes from "Progressives" slate candidate Gerald Yetming in favour of Vasant Bharath of the Panday-supported "Patriots."

Saying he would await a reply from committee chairman Ganace Ramdial, to his latest letter calling for an inquiry into the recount, Dookeran told a cottage meeting Friday night that he would act, if he is not convinced otherwise. "I will then have to think what I will do," Dookeran said.

Friday night’s cottage meeting was held at a private residence on Seamoss Avenue, Gulf View, La Romaine.

Dookeran had a walkabout in Marabella earlier with senator Sadiq Baksh, but other executive members invited, also to the cottage meeting, did not show up.

Questioned on sensitive issues engaging the party’s attention after his wide-ranging address to about 60 persons, Dookeran said that many supporters were dissatisfied with the integrity of the recent executive election process. The UNC political leader said it had not been an easy task convincing others against seeking legal action.

In obvious reference to Panday’s comment at Wednesday’s executive meeting for the executive to move on, Dookeran said: "Saying that the elections is over; I disagree. As the political leader in charge, it could be said that I participated in an electoral process where there are problems and I did nothing about it." Dookeran, who was loudly applauded, said that how he deals with the recount issue, would be a test of his first discharge as political leader. Dookeran said that in a recent exchange of letters with Ramdial, he informed the former president of the senate that he would not accept that his (Ramdial) committee has since been dissolved. "He informed me that his committee was no longer in existence. I wrote to him, that I did not agree and that he ought to proceed with the inquiry. I am waiting to hear from him and if I don’t, I will have to think what I will do," Dookeran said.

On the issue of Panday’s offer of a senatorship to Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Dookeran maintained that Panday should have discussed it with him. "And there has been no such discussion," Dookeran said.

Baksh also spoke at the meeting as well as former UNC deputy political leader Allan McKenzie. The meeting was organised by Amar Chadee and Kama Maharaj, former UNC San Fernando West constituency organisers.