Political leader of the Congress of the People (COP) Winston Dookeran announced that he was stepping down from the position yesterday after an emergency meeting at COP's Flagship headquarters at Broome Street, Port of Spain.

Dookeran will remain as Minister of Finance in the People's Partnership Government and Member of Parliament for Tunapuna.

His announcement makes way for a new leader of the party that was founded in 2006 and whose helm he took over in September of that year when he resigned as political leader of the UNC.

Following a meeting involving COP executive members and parliamentary representatives yesterday, Dookeran said: "I will not offer myself as a candidate for the leadership of the COP in the July 3 election."

He added that he had not officially informed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of his plans. "But I had indicated that this decision was made during the course of this week," he said.

The COP is set to elect a new leader on July 3 and the deadline for nominations for that post is June 12.

To date, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs and MP for D'Abadie/O'Meara Anil Roberts and COP vice-chairman Vernon De Lima have confirmed that they will be contesting the political leader's post.

Sources within the party have said that MP for St Augustine and Minister of Legal Affairs Prakash Ramadhar was also expected to throw his hat in the ring for the post of political leader job.

Dookeran said he will not be endorsing any candidate in the upcoming election. "It is not my intention to endorse any candidate and it is my hope that we can provide scrutiny to those who wish to offer themselves for candidacy," he said.

At the media conference yesterday, Dookeran said he felt his decision would not change the relationship between the COP and the People's Partnership Government, adding, "It ought not to change that relationship. In fact it might help."

For those who criticised how he exercised his leadership, he said: "Many have been dissatisfied with my style of leadership. I acknowledge that each individual has his own style. But what I do know is that it is not style that matters, it is content that matters, content measured in the end by results."

Roberts has been Dookeran's most constant critic.

At a May 15 National Council meeting at the party's Operations Centre in Charlieville, a meeting described as "passionate" by COP chairman Joseph Toney, Roberts called on supporters to give him a chance to breathe new life into a dying COP that he said he believed had lost its way.

Roberts also claimed there was a huge separation between the COP leadership and the people who supported the party from its inception.

Contacted for comment on Dookeran's stepping down, Roberts was diplomatic:

"Winston Dookeran has shown he is a true statesman and a man who is true to his word. From the beginning and when he founded the party based on the principles of new politics, Mr Dookeran always said he would make way for succession and new leaders to come through because in the new politics, any person, regardless of race, creed, religion etc, could vie for the top post.

"He is not going to be dragged out of office kicking and screaming like other former political leaders."

Roberts also said he welcomed more people to join in the contest (for political leader) because the COP was a democratic party and elections must be competitive and fair for the party to move forward.