{"id":7497,"date":"2013-04-23T08:45:34","date_gmt":"2013-04-23T12:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/?p=7497"},"modified":"2013-04-23T08:45:34","modified_gmt":"2013-04-23T12:45:34","slug":"a-new-era-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/?p=7497","title":{"rendered":"A NEW ERA BEGINS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Cecily Asson and Andre Bagoo Tuesday,
\nApril 23 2013 – www.newsday.co.tt<\/A><\/I><\/p>\n

Jack Warner<\/a>\u201cDON\u2019T cry for Jack Warner…you haven\u2019t seen the end of Jack Warner yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

These were the words of consolation Warner shared with executive members and regular staffers of his Chaguanas West constituency office, following his resignation as chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) and as National Security Minister.
\n
\n\u201cIt is not the end of the world,\u201d Warner said as he hugged party members, one by one, at the office Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas yesterday. \u201cIt is the beginning of a new era…don\u2019t cry I tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warner\u2019s resignation as UNC chairman, ended his six-year tenure as a high-ranking member of the Couva-based party.<\/p>\n

Warner, 70, stated he will remain an ordinary member of the UNC. He said he was resigning as chairman to prevent any fallout from his resignation from Cabinet amid fraud allegations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that if by chance my presence in the party was felt in some quarters to be objectionable it would be better for me to be a party member on the floor,\u201d Warner told Newsday, before he went to the constituency office.<\/p>\n

Asked to describe his relationship with UNC political leader, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Warner said, \u201cIt is still very cordial and why should it not be? In fact, I sent her birthday greetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warner\u2019s resignation as UNC chairman came one day after his resignation from Cabinet.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar on Sunday accepted Warner\u2019s resignation as National Security Minister. That resignation came two days after the findings of a report prepared by former Barbados Chief Justice Sir David Simmons. Sir David\u2019s report into the affairs of regional football body Concacaf accused Warner of fraud in his football affairs. Warner has denied wrongdoing and has dismissed Sir David\u2019s findings as baseless.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, as he left the private residence of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, he did so in a Toyota Prado executive SUV equipped with security detail. Yesterday, Warner\u2019s arrival to his constituency office was low key \u2014 he arrived in a black Nissan Tiida car.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are emotional and I must be there to comfort them. I have to be strong to comfort them. It won\u2019t do for me to cry or collapse. I have to be strong,\u201d Warner told Newsday.<\/p>\n

Several \u201cgrassroots\u201d supporters including a couple from within the constituency arrived at the locked gates begging the security to let them in but they were denied entry as it was only for executive members.<\/p>\n

A woman told Newsday: \u201cI hear it have a meeting and that\u2019s why I am here \u2014 I want to see Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the meeting Warner held a brief press conference where said all will be revealed on Thursday night at Pierre Road, Felicity, at a public meeting he will host, and on Friday in Parliament.<\/p>\n

At the head table, he was flanked by UNC vice-chairman Khadijah Ameen, who will act as chairman until that substantive post is filled. Senator Emmanuel George replaces him as National Security Minister.<\/p>\n

Warner told reporters he gave his executive committee the background as to the reasons he resigned the two important positions. \u201cI also told them as well that there is no point for them to be vex or angry with anybody or go no any placard demonstration. No \u2018bring back Jack Warner\u2019 protest. I made that quite clear.\u201d Several constituents had gathered at the constituency office early yesterday morning, saying they planned to start a campaign to get Warner reinstated as UNC chairman.<\/p>\n

Warner went on to give his reasons for tendering his resignation as a government minister. \u201cI resigned, first of all as Minister of National Security because I felt that as a minister of a Cabinet, there has been for the past three, four, five weeks, a concerted effort by certain agencies and people to get Jack Warner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt enough was enough and I didn\u2019t have any reason to get the party or government involved in that.\u201d He then said why he also stepped down as party chairman. \u201cI resigned as party chairman because I think there has been external as well as internal factors impacting against me and I felt I couldn\u2019t fix the external without fixing the internal. So therefore for me to sit down as chairman and not be comfortable, I prefer to stay on the floor and be a floor member.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warner revealed that he has not heard from some of his Cabinet colleagues since handing in his resignations – not that he expected it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some colleagues in Cabinet who will never call me. I am sure you know who they are and if you say you don\u2019t, then I don\u2019t. But there are some who will call me and they have called me whole day like the \u2018Gypsies\u2019 (Winston Peters), the De Coteaus (Clifton De Coteau), Anil Roberts, Dr (Rupert) Griffith, Fuad Khan, Fazal Karim…those are the people who I expected would have called me. There are some others who would have not called me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warner said he was happy that the heads of security all contacted him and praised him for making a dent in crime. \u201cThey were high in praise for what I did in the short term of nine months, the talk about Laventille crime is down, the murder rate is better this time than as it was the same time last year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat gave me comfort and if I didn\u2019t have a chance to finish what I wanted to do with the Coast Guard, the army, the SRP…but I am quite sure someone else will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Warner dismissed suggestions that he was pressured into resigning. \u201cI left my home (on Sunday en route to Persad-Bissessar\u2019s home) with my notes going to resign, going to offer my resignation because I was hearing all kinds of talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am getting tired,\u201d he said, \u201cI have been out here for the longest while. I might have done something wrong in my youth, in my mother\u2019s womb. I have never seen such a concerted effort to get rid of one man. There, I am seeing some degree of success,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n

He admitted to being hurt, after reading in the newspaper, that the PM was \u201cstunned\u201d at revelations coming out of the Concacaf meeting in Panama.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt if she was stunned without speaking to me, then it doesn\u2019t make any sense…that was the catalyst (for him tendering his resignation).\u201d Warner called the allegations involving Concacaf and FIFA, \u201cso spurious\u201d saying that it has been in the public domain, \u201csince God knows how long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now without a ministerial portfolio, Warner said he has the chance to say much more than he could have said while inside the Cabinet. \u201cAt the end of the day I felt that I should possibly stay back and look in and have a better chance to see objectively what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

He promised to give an account of his stewardship at Pierre Road on Thursday and is calling on all 19,000 persons who voted for him, to attend and hear, \u201cwhat I have done and what I have failed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, in the Lower House, Warner will respond to an Opposition motion regarding the allegations against him.<\/p>\n

Warner yesterday promised not to run from the media and also reiterated that he will not undermine the party of which he remains a member.<\/p>\n

He said he spent his first full day as a simple MP and ordinary UNC member going for an early morning jog, watching IPL cricket on television, watching a western movie and last night, spending a relaxing evening with close friends.<\/p>\n

It was out of respect, Warner said, that he opted not to attend last night\u2019s UNC Monday Night Forum in Penal, as he did not want to take away the spotlight from the Prime Minister whom he sent a birthday greeting yesterday.<\/p>\n

Now as a UNC MP, subject to the Government Whip, Warner expressed a preference for sitting next to Independent back-bencher St Joseph MP Herbert Volney, who was dismissed from Cabinet last year over his role in the Section 34 affair.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I have any say, I would like to sit next to MP Volney,\u201d Warner said. \u201cBecause that part of the chamber is close to where the PNM leadership resides and I could keep an eye on them. I would get a good view at the back of their heads.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Government Information Services Limited yesterday issued an advisory on behalf of the Office of the President confirming that Warner\u2019s appointment as minister had been revoked. Warner had been a minister since 2010, first of Works and Transport and then of National Security in 2012.<\/p>\n

Warner yesterday emailed his resignation as UNC chairman to general secretary Dave Tancoo. The email to Tancoo was addressed to the political leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Political Leader, I refer to the above referenced subject and do wish to advise you that I have tendered my resignation as Chairman of the UNC with immediate effect,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do wish to thank you and all our Party members for the love and confidence reposed in me these past years and I do sincerely hope that our Party, the United National Congress, can grow from strength to strength, under your leadership. With kindest regards, Jack Warner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked whether he expected Warner\u2019s resignation as UNC chairman, Tancoo said, \u201cNo, I did not expect his resignation.\u201d Ameen said she was surprised by Warner\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised when he resigned as chairman,\u201d she said. \u201cIt appears that we cannot do anything to change his mind. He had started to do a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ameen was last night due to meet with UNC political leader, Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar, ahead of the party\u2019s Monday Night Forum rally event at Penal, in order to discuss possible measures to deal with the vacancy in the chairmanship.<\/p>\n

The UNC chairman is normally elected by the party\u2019s national assembly \u2013 a body comprising all its members. A special national assembly may have to be called to deal with the chairmanship issue, under UNC party rules.<\/p>\n

Asked for her thoughts on being asked to hold on as interim-chairman in these circumstances, Ameen said, \u201cAt this time, my thoughts are for the welfare for UNC as a party to continue to strengthen the party. Mr Warner has been a tremendous advocate and chairman of the party and there is sadness within the party to see him resign.\u201d She said she would work with Warner in the future. \u201cThe way I look at it is what is important is that the work of the party goes on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

On upcoming Local Government elections, she said it was possible that supporters of Warner might withdraw their support from the party because of his resignation from the party and Cabinet.<\/p>\n

Ameen said Warner had been instrumental in the party\u2019s preparations for the Local Government elections and had attended meetings of coalition chairmen to plan the campaign. She said he had overseen constituency executive elections on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Early yesterday morning, emotions ran high outside Warner\u2019s Chaguanas West constituency office where there was a steady trek of constituents and non-constituents. Hoping that he would be present, they dropped in to offer their personal support. They were all disappointed however, as the gates to his office were tightly locked. Just after 8 am yesterday, office staff locked themselves inside the office and were not seeing any members of the public.One woman who came to collect a letter was told to return in two days.<\/p>\n

Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagessar, attorney Carol Cuffy-Dowlat and other unidentified activists were the only ones allowed access to the office using the entrance through the doctors office located downstairs the building to go upstairs.<\/p>\n

Shedding tears was Victor Baptiste, 70, of Couva who condemned Warner\u2019s detractors.<\/p>\n

He cried openly as he said: \u201cI am here to show my support. No one is perfect and all the people who are just accusing, they themselves have done something wrong and they don\u2019t want to admit it, but I say their time is coming. The man is a human being. It is unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosewatti Khan and her husband Hashim Khan of Iere Vilage, Princes Town were also there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am crying and I don\u2019t want to break down now,\u201d Rosewatti told reporters. \u201cIt hurt me so much to see what happened to him. He is a people\u2019s man. Right now it hurt me as if is my child, my brother. Mr Warner helped me. I came here seven times to meet Mr Warner. I came here Friday night and hold on to this gate until Saturday morning when he came here 3 am in the morning. I am grateful to Mr Warner.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Indal Singh, chairman of La Paille Party Group, has mounted the \u201cBring back Jack\u201d campaign. Activists are planning to hold mass meetings to get Warner back.<\/p>\n

Singh said: \u201cIf we are to go through this land, we are going to fight this action tooth and nail – we will be walking with our soldiers and ask them their support to make sure Jack Warner rethinks his position and come back as the chairman of this party, the great party which I helped to build. One link of the chain of the party too much to break.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another constituent told Newsday that Warner should be judged by his work and his achievements.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet FIFA business be FIFA business. Mr Warner is our MP and his track record will show he is no lazy man and he always proves himself.\u201d <\/p>\n

Source: www.newsday.co.tt\/news\/0,176665.html<\/A><\/I><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cecily Asson and Andre Bagoo Tuesday, April 23 2013 – www.newsday.co.tt \u201cDON\u2019T cry for Jack Warner…you haven\u2019t seen the end of Jack Warner yet.\u201d These were the words of consolation Warner shared with executive members and regular staffers of his Chaguanas West constituency office, following his resignation as chairman of the United National Congress … Continue reading A NEW ERA BEGINS<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,178,566,396,30,7,160,142],"tags":[147,144,1015,49,1037],"class_list":["post-7497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-tt","category-media","category-opposition-party","category-peoples-partnership","category-pnm","category-politics","category-security","category-unc","tag-jack-warner","tag-kamla-persad-bissessar","tag-politics","tag-tt-govt","tag-unc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7497"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7498,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7497\/revisions\/7498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.trinidadandtobagonews.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}