Dookeran not ready for the task
THE EDITOR: Winston Dookeran has not shown that he is deserving of the position of Opposition Leader (OL). Dookeran was selected as leader of the UNC in an arrangement with Panday who made it publicly clear that although he was giving up leadership of the party to Dookeran he was not giving up the OL. Dookeran accepted the agreement after he said Panday’s condition was untenable. Dookeran should be grateful that Panday handed him leadership on a platter. Readers would recall that a majority of UNC MPs opposed Dookeran being made leader and Kamla Persad Bissessar had announced that she would contest for the leadership position. Panday saved Dookeran by giving him leadership. After being made leader, Dookeran put up a slate of candidates to contest against Panday’s slate for the party’s executive positions. Dookeran was beaten badly 12-4. He could not even muster 6,000 votes to support him as compared with the 13,000 who supported Ramesh in the 2001 executive elections. Also, the crowds that showed up to listen to Dookeran at public meetings were between 50 and 200 as compared with the near 2,000 who showed up at La Joya to listen to Ramesh when he launched ACT TT. Also, Dookeran came to the UNC as the trump card to make Panday win the election of October 2002. Instead, the UNC lost two seats and 40,000 votes and Dookeran in his own St Augustine constituency received less votes than his predecessor. The party lost more votes and elections in 2003 and 2005. In fact, since Dookeran’s entry into the UNC, the party has been on a downward slide. The opposite was true when Ramesh came into the UNC. From 1991 to 2001, the UNC gained support (in excess of 120,000 votes) and seats (up to 11) with Ramesh as Panday’s partner. For someone to be Opposition Leader, the person should show he or she can confront the Government and that he/she is an outstanding debater. The person should show that the Opposition is the alternative government in waiting and that he or she is the alternative Prime Minster. I am afraid Dookeran has not shown he is ready for the task of OL. He has not shown these qualities. He has not faced off with the PNM and has not fought any successful battles on behalf of Panday. In point of fact, he often appears weak. Readers should note that Dookeran deserted the UNC and Panday and went with ANR Robinson in the conflict within the NAR. But Panday did not hold this against him. In fact, Panday made him Governor of the Central Bank. And when the PNM removed him from the Central Bank, he resurfaced in the UNC in 2002 after the Panday-Ramesh fall out. He made no attempt to foster unity between Ramesh and Panday. Clearly, Dookeran does not have support among voters, MPs or rank and file members to be OL. SUMINTRA RAMLOGAN Chaguanas
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"Dookeran not ready for the task"