Achong: No one has spoken to me about reconciliation

Nobody has spoken to former Labour Minister Lawrence Achong about any reconciliation, or about returning to the  Cabinet. This was indicated by Achong in an interview yesterday. The Point Fortin MP said that while one or two persons had called him and expressed regret at what has happened, there had been no attempt by anyone, officially or unofficially, for any reconciliation or reconsideration of his resignation. There were reports that three members of the PNM leadership — Franklyn Khan, Joan Yuille-Williams and John Donaldson — were due to meet with Achong on Tuesday night. But Achong stated that members of the leadership were due to meet with the constituency (not him).

Asked whether he had consulted with the constituency executive on what it planned to say at the meeting, Achong said no. He said the constituency executive was not going to be proactive, but was going to hear what the leadership wanted to tell it. The meeting however, was cancelled. Achong stated that his good friend, John Donaldson came to see him. Revealing that they have been friends from way back when, Achong said Donaldson didn’t come with any mandate to seek to influence him. They merely chatted over drinks. Achong denied that his decision to leave the Government was the result of the difficulties which his common-law wife, Marlene Coudray, was having with the Government.

Coudray is resisting a transfer from the San Fernando Corporation to the Point Fortin Borough. But Achong stated that if Coudray’s problems with the administration were the cause, he would have acted a long time ago. He said while he believed that the transfer was unnecessary, he was entirely convinced that Coudray had the capability to handle her own affairs. He added that he had divorced himself from that issue in the performance of his duties as Minister.