Three Congress of the People MPs have expressed gratitude to the party's political leader Winston Dookeran following his announcement that he would be stepping down from the position.

"Mr Dookeran has played and will continue to play a significant role in the politics of this country, but very important is whoever goes forward must ensure, and I think this is very important for this (COP) election that they be judged on how they want to take this party forward and continue the work of Mr Dookeran," said San Fernando West MP and Minister of Energy Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.

Minister of Legal Affairs Prakash Ramadhar used the opportunity to thank Dookeran for encouraging him into the realm of politics. Sources have said that the MP for St Augustine may consider running for the leadership of the COP now that Dookeran is out of the race. According to sources, Ramadhar had appeared reluctant to oppose the party's founding leader.

"He really was the guiding light that brought me into the politics, believing there is a space for young people in the politics, and he has proved today the highest expectation of the politics of the future: a leader standing down. He did not have to because he is loved tremendously," Ramadhar said.

Dr Lincoln Douglas, Minister of State in the Ministry of the People and Social Development, described Dookeran's move as a demonstration of the quality of his character.

"We live in a time where we have seen a history of political leaders, both nationally and internationally, who don't know when to leave or when to stop and have ended up seriously wounding themselves as change agents,

"I think Mr Dookeran's bigness of heart and the quality of his character and the content of his wisdom was demonstrated today by the offerings that he made of resigning from the leadership of the party," Douglas concluded.