Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, a member of the Ramjack faction of the UNC, blanked yesterday’s convention of the party and opted instead to meet members of his constituents.

’I have no meaningful role to play there so they won’t miss me,’ he told the media while addressing residents of Cocoa Piece, Gasparillo yesterday morning.

Maharaj, Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner and Mayaro MP Winston ’Gypsy’ Peters have been advocating for change within the party and have called for early party elections as a means of bringing about change in the leadership.

He said he had received an invitation from the party two weeks ago but he had already made plans to meet the residents of Cocoa Piece and Caratal.

The only member of the Ramjack faction who attended the meeting was Peters.

Warner is in Nigeria attending to football matters but he had indicated before leaving the he was not going to attend the convention.

’What we need is change not ole talk,’ he said. Peters said he was attending the convention but insisted that Panday should go.

Speaking to residents at the cottage meeting at Cocoa Piece, Maharaj told them to get prepared to join in a mass demonstration which will take place in a few days in front of the offices of State-owned development company - Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) and journey to the official residence of the Prime Minister in St Ann’s.

’We want the PTSC to provide us with buses to take the protestors to Port of Spain in the same way as they do to the PNM supporters,’ Maharaj said.

He said UDeCOTT has indicated that they intend to break the tendering rules.

’We have to stop them from doing that,’ Maharaj told his supporters.

At Cocoa Piece the residents complained about the bad condition of the roads leading to their homes, and also the problem of water.

’For 23 years we have not received a supply of pipe-borne water,’ said Kamina Jamaldin, one of the residents.

Maharaj said he intends to call on all the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth who will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government, to make a donation which will be used to alleviate the suffering of the people in Cocoa Piece.

Maharaj also spoke to residents of Caratal while he toured the area to get a first-hand view of the problems in the area.