Congress of the People (COP) alderman in the San Fernando City Corporation Kevin Ratiram has distanced himself from the leadership of Prakash Ramadhar.
Ratiram said he has always stood up for what is right regardless of the consequences and if he remains silent, he would have failed himself and the party he helped to build.
“The COP has materially departed from its founding principles and unless and until there is a re-adherence to the founding principles I am formally distancing myself from the leadership of the party,” Ratiram said yesterday.
His desire to disassociate with the party in its present configuration, comes at a time when there are mounting calls for Ramadhar to step aside after last Monday’s election defeat.
Although he has taken this position, Ratiram said in accordance with the founding principles of the COP, he will complete his duties as chairman of the party’s Constitution Reform Committee, his duties as alderman and shall continue to attend meetings of the national executive.
In a statement, Ratiram, a founding member of the COP, said he has stayed true to the party even after the exodus of members following several events over the past eight years and even when others have proclaimed that the COP is dead.
“The COP was the party which stood for the values I believed in—integrity, decency, and honesty. For me, it was never about how strong or weak we were.
“It was about what we stood for and since I felt we stood for the right thing, there was never any issue of me departing.
“However, during the past few months, I have witnessed a marked departure by the COP leadership (not merely the leader) from the principles and values upon which this party was founded. I have seen these values thrown to the wolves, for political gain and survival.”
He cited three examples to support his claim, including Ramadhar’s endorsement of the former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar exoneration of Anil Roberts re the Room 201 video, Ramadhar’s embrace of endorsements by high-ranking government officials who wear the COP shirt, but who in fact bear no allegiance to the COP and what he saw as “the blatant acceptance of a campaign amongst persons who once were, but are no longer, members of the COP in the true sense, to vote in, and sway, the elections.