Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 06:19

Ragoonath: No council for UNC to withdraw from

CHAIRMAN of the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour, Dr Bishnu Ragoonath, says the Opposition UNC has not withdrawn from the council. The party has withdrawn its commitment to the council's code of ethics which it and other political parties made. In a signed letter dated January 30, UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo told Ragoonath the party "hereby withdraws from the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour." No reasons were given for the withdrawal. Tancoo added the UNC remains committed to upholding the constitution and the law. In a telephone interview on January 31, Ragoonath said, "I have absolutely no idea as to what would have led to the UNC withdrawing." The council, he continued, has literally been at rest since the local government elections in August 2023. Ragoonath said the council will reconvene before this year's general election takes place. "For them (UNC) saying they are withdrawing could not have been based on anything the council would have said or done in the last year and a half." The UNC's withdrawal does not imply the council has been ineffective in encouraging political parties to behave responsibly. Ragoonath said while the council has no power to discipline political parties, the fact that its work has been scrutinised by many politicians suggests that the parties acknowledge that the council is making an impact on them. "I will not say that the council has been totally ineffective." He added, "We have been able to get parties to pull back, to acknowledge they may have breached their own oath that they would have signed on (to ratify the council's code of ethics)." In 2020, he continued, 11 political parties had ratified the code. Referring to Tancoo's letter, Ragoonath said parties do not join the council but signed on to ratify its code. "For all intents and purposes, there was no council for the UNC to withdraw from." He repeated, "The council is merely the institution that will monitor adherence to the code." Ragoonath said the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) leader Phillip Edward Alexander leader and his party have never ratified the code. But this does not mean the council cannot take action against the PEP if it breaches the code. Ragoonath said, "That did not prevent the council in the local government elections in 2023 from censuring Phillip Alexander for things he would have said." The PEP is trying to form an alliance with the UNC for the election. Ragoonath said the council responds to complaints from the public when parties breach the code. He added no other parties, including the PNM, has withdrawn its support for the code. Ragoonath said Dr Rowley ratified the code on the PNM's behalf in 2014, while it was in opposition. During a virtual news conference earlier in the day, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah said the UNC's withdrawal was not a good thing. While not legally enforceable, he continued, the code provides a standard of public behaviour that political parties must uphold. He said this is important because it allows the public to hold parties accountable for their actions. Abdulah added the council plays an important role in this exercise. "For a party to withdraw from that (upholding the code) is an indication that it is not serious about the code that has been established." Abdulah said parties have breached the code over time and the council has dealt with those breaches. He repeated, "To withdraw is not the right thing." Abdulah said the ideal situation is to have the code "enshrined in law somewhere." In a statement, National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader Gary Griffith said the the party remains committed to the code because it believes responsible political behaviour should be a cornerstone of every political party. He added, "While it is the right of any political organisation to choose whether or not to participate in such a body, the withdrawal of a major political party from an entity dedicated to promoting ethical and respectful conduct in politics raises significant concerns, especially since over the past few months, as they entered into a coalition of interests with another political entity." Such behaviour, Griffith continued, not only undermines public trust in politicians but "also tarnishes the very fabric of our democratic process." He said, "We are proud to stand apart from any alliance or association that condones or turns a blind eye to unethical practices, vulgar rhetoric, or behaviour designed to demean and destroy." In a WhatsApp comment HOPE (Honesty, Opportunity, Performance, and Empowerment) political leader Timothy Hamel-Smith said he did not know the reason for the UNC's action. "Are they deliberately shooting themselves in the foot, again, to ensure they lose the election?" In a brief comment, Progressive Democratic Patriots leader Watson Duke said, "I wonder why the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour hasn’t been given the influence and authority it should have." He added in its current form the council remains "nothing more than a talk shop for political organisations." The council's code of ethics was created in July 2014. Its objectives include fostering of democracy through peaceful, free and fair elections, promoting elections free from violence and promoting respect for human rights, the pursuit of civil and political liberties, the tolerance of divergent opinions, full and active participation of all in the political process. The code has five sections which deal with commitment to the code, prohibited conduct, the media and the council's work. The post Ragoonath: No council for UNC to withdraw from appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.