A building to be called the Winston Dookeran Centre in honour of the Congress of the People (COP) founding father will house the party's headquarters, says party chairman Joseph Toney.

Toney said last Wednesday that an honour for Dookeran was discussed by newly-elected political leader Prakash Ramadhar and executive members of the party.

Dookeran, he said, who founded the COP in 2006, must be honoured for "all the effort and sacrifices he made for the COP in particular and the nation in general over the last five years and well for over 20 years in public life".

Dookeran was the political leader of the COP since the party's birth in 2006. He was succeeded by Ramadhar on July 3, who swept the COP leadership election polls.

Toney said the discussions are still ongoing with respect to the Winston Dookeran Centre, where it would be constructed et cetera or whether one of the current COP offices will be renamed.

The COP currently has four main offices- Flagship House, Port of Spain, COP Operations Centre, Charlieville, COP Corner, San Fernando, and COP Renaissance House, Fyzabad.

Toney said he believes a committee will be established to get advice and work on the way forward with respect to making the Winston Dookeran Centre a reality.

Toney also commented on Ramadhar's position that COP members must not speak on behalf of the party unless authorised to do so.

"I have been outspoken but all the occasions which I have spoken I express the views of our national executive and our party," said Toney adding that this gives him strength- the fact that he always had the blessings of the party.

Commenting on the three newly appointed COP deputy political leaders — Anna Maria Mora, Dr Anirudh Mahabir and Dr Lincoln Douglas, Toney said: "I have been working with all of them in the past and we have a good working relationship I don't see any problems at all."

Asked what he felt needed to be dealt with immediately by the new party leadership, Toney said the disconnect between the membership and leadership.

"There was a bit of a communication gap between the members and the leadership, I think that some members felt that the leadership was not really involving them more in decisions taken by the party," said Toney.

"We are entering a new chapter in our political history and we call for all hands to be on deck, my own view is that it is going to be a very interesting and exciting time and I have faith in our political leader, he will do all what is necessary to ensure that we become a much bigger influence in the politics of Trinidad and Tobago," Toney added.