COP staying in T&T govt partnership

(Trinidas Express) The Congress of the People (COP) will not break away from the People’s Partnership Government and the concerns of COP chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith are personal and emotional ones, says party leader Prakash Ramadhar.

Dyer-Griffith said yesterday she received numerous calls from party members past and present who expressed displeasure over the Prime Minister’s firing of national security minister Gary Griffith.

Dyer-Griffith is the wife of the former minister.

Standing by her husband’s side, Dyer-Griffith said this action was against the principles of the COP and the party should remove itself from the Partnership.

Ramadhar spoke to the media yesterday on the issue at the President’s House in St Ann’s following the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers. Ramadhar was given the Justice Ministry in addition to his Legal Affairs Ministry portfolio.

He said the party was in full support of the Prime Minister’s actions and he will speak with Dyer-Griffith.

“To be fair to Nicole, I can only imagine the emotions she would have felt because of the decisions that were taken in relation to her husband and also, to be fair to her, I think she spoke in a personal capacity,” said Ramadhar.