Dookeran mum on UNC status

Speaking at a constitutional forum at the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Headquarters in St Augustine, Dookeran dealt with the “difficult subject” of constitution making, declaring that “democracy cannot be relegated to those in power or the party in power.”

He accused Prime Minister Patrick Manning of attempting to rule the nation in a dictatorial manner, stating that constitution making is a matter of procedure rather than politics.

Referring to an alternative draft constitution prepared by the Principles of Fairness Committee, the embattled UNC leader declared, “It will capture the will of the people.” Attorneys Tajmool Hosein SC, Rajiv Persad and political scientist Dr Hamid Ghany are said to have contributed to the draft constitution.

The draft constitution contains proposals for proportional representation and establishment of an executive presidency based on two election day votes by citizens, one for their parliamentary representative and the other for a president.

Commenting on the original draft constitution Persad said, “A constitution must not come from government but from the people it was set out to govern!”

The forum got off to a late start, facilitating a lengthy conversation between Dookeran and former UNC Planning Minister John Humphrey who sat at the front of the gathering.

Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran was also in attendance but was conspicuously detached as he sat in conversation with a group of his peers at the side of the meeting.