The mood was mellower than usual yesterday when the four contenders in the race for leadership of the Congress of the People (COP) sat down for a fund-raising meal together.

The COP election luncheon fund-raiser for the political leader campaign was well-attended at Gaston Court, Chaguanas.

With a contribution of $200 per guest, the hall was filled with supporters of candidates Vernon De Lima, vice-chairman of the party; Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar; Sport Minister Anil Roberts; and Nalini Dial, animal rights activist and ordinary member.

The speeches were brief and were delivered mostly with an air of camaraderie as candidates wished each other the best on the July 3 elections.

Calling on the voters to "do the right thing", De Lima apologised for any mud-slinging he may have engaged in early in the campaign.

De Lima said a vote for him meant a vote for a team of himself and Dookeran, saying while he (De Lima) will work outside to build the party, Dookeran would be inside the Parliament working for the country.

Dial thanked the membership and the media for showing her respect. A director at Solid Waste Management Company Ltd (SWMCOL), Dial said she prays day and night for an end to suffering in Trinidad and Tobago and the world.

Ramadhar praised the party for continuing its work, even after getting into Government. He said the party is set to open an office in La Brea but added while Trinidad and Tobago must not be a country dependent on programmes like the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and Com- munity-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP), there are still many who must be fed.

Speaking last, Roberts said the People's National Movement (PNM) is in the process of crumbling, and the COP would be ready to welcome its membership when that happens.