Dyer-Griffith: I am sitting out 2020 general election

FORMER Congress of the People (COP) chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith said she will be sitting out the 2020 general election.

She was asked to respond to information reaching Newsday that she was being courted by both the PNM and the UNC to contest a seat in this year’s election. She said she was neither in a position to confirm nor deny the information. She added, however, that she was very honoured and flattered by the report.

“Somewhere out there, people believe I may still have something to offer.”

She said that the type of political involvement she has been doing over the past few years have not been electoral.

“(It has been to) encourage human development from a broad prospective outside the political lines or colours of yellow or red. I am enjoying being non-partisan and providing some measure of support to everyone regardless of political affiliations.”

Dyer-Griffith said she was enjoying seeing the outcomes of projects she has been working on with different foundations.

“I will continue working along non-partisan lines and treating with the politics of the people non-politically and with nationally-focused interventions.”

She said that she is not a member of any political group but she wished all political parties and potential candidates the very best.

“Do not expect to see me on any politically partisan campaign in the year 2020. I am enjoying being able to reach out to everyone without a political lens.

Dyer-Griffith served as a COP senator from June 2010 to June 2015 and was also parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communication.

She subsequently left the COP and formed her own political organisation the Alliance of Independents. In 2017 she sought to contest the leadership of the COP but was not allowed to do so owing to a reported issue with her nomination. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan went on to become the COP political leader.

Dyer-Griffith is the CEO and founder of the Oxygen with Nicole (O2N) Foundation, a platform created to express creativity, empowerment, and entrepreneurship with women and youth. She was the Miss Universe candidate for TT in 1999 and is married to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.