Dookeran: Leadership succession must be complete, unambiguous

FORMER politician Winston Dookeran says there must be clarity with respect to leadership succession in any political party.

He also said it was not a case of one size fits all, and many factors affected the way leadership succession took place.

Dookeran, a former UNC and Congress of the People (COP) political leader, expressed these views on January 12 on the Prime Minister's announcement on January 3 that he planned to resign from this post and as PNM political leader too.

His views also included Dr Rowley's announcement on January 6 that the PNM's parliamentary caucus had chosen Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young to succeed him as prime minister.

After the PNM General Council meeting on January 11, party general secretary Foster Cummings said 20 PNM MPs had pledged their support for Young.

Cummings added Rowley remained PNM leader and there was no vacancy in that office.

On January 6, Rowley said the party would hold its annual convention on September 28 and a new leader would be elected then.

In a WhatsApp comment, Dookeran said, "Leadership succession in our party system must be complete and unambiguous."

The process, he continued, may take time with sequencing, each case being unique to the situation.

"As such, it would be better to have both offices in one person in our electoral system.

"In my experience, the separation did not work when I was duly elected – on invitation – as political leader of the UNC but not (the opposition leader) in Parliament. The story is known, and the COP was formed."

In October 2005, Dookeran succeeded Basdeo Panday as UNC political leader after being nominated unopposed by Panday .

But Panday retained the post of opposition leader and became UNC chairman.

Dookeran was unable to function as UNC leader, with the party's national executive dominated by members loyal to Panday. He subsequently resigned as UNC leader, left the party and formed the COP.

Dookeran said, "Timing and honour are crucial to seamless leadership succession."

But the process of succession is not the only thing that matters in leadership change.

"Political opportunities are not circumscribed by process alone; there are other factors at play in a complex democratic change."