WITH regards to the current FIFA controversy being played out in Switzerland and news reports of calls for FIFA Vice-President to step down as Minister of Works and Transport in Trinidad, because of his temporary suspension from FIFA, I wish to note that the minister is the most popular politician in the country apart from the Prime Minister.
The Express, Guardian and Newsday newspapers, commentators, bloggers and the COP and PNM parties have called on Minister Jack Warner to resign from office amidst allegations of wrong doing. The PNM feels Warner should be sacked if he does not willingly resign as a Minister. But the Trini population and other parties feel otherwise and are fully behind Mr. Warner.
Warner has not been found guilty of breaking any rule. There has not been any determination of guilt, just allegations. As someone pens, if we are to respect the rule of law, we must accept its attendant precepts in the extant matter of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Warner is extremely popular in Trinidad and Tobago because of his generosity and performance as a minister. He doles out his personal money and his salaries to charitable causes buying books for kids and building schools, etc. In addition, he provides jobs for hundreds. On his constituency office day, usually on Saturdays, he sees hundreds of people from seven in the morning till midnight. He has a tremendous work ethic showing up for work in his ministerial office around 04:00hrs.
Warner is second only to Prime Minister Kamla Bisessar_Persad in popularity. Seven polls which NACTA conducted from June 2010 to now consistently and resoundingly rate Warner as the best performing Minister. Polls conducted by the MFO and UWI Ansa McAl Research Center obtained similar findings. In the last poll in May, MFO found 61% saying Warner as best Minister. NACTA found 41% and UWI 44%.
The UNC, of which Warner is Chair and is responsible for the defeat of Basdeo Panday as leader and Kamla Bissessar-Persad as PM, is fully behind Warner as he battles FIFA. The Prime Minister told the media on Saturday that Warner has not violated any laws in Trinidad and that so far there are only allegations against him. She says Warner will remain in the cabinet and that she needs him. The Vice- Chairman of the UNC, Dr. Fuad Khan, said: “Warner has made an invaluable contribution to the party and country. We are prepared to stand with him in these difficult times. Warner is innocent until proven otherwise. Until the outcome of the FIFA inquiry, there is no justifiable reason for Warner to demit office as Minister of Works and Transport…to do so would send the signal that we are convicting Warner without evidence and on a matter that is not related to Government business. We must resist rumour-mongering, hearsay and any other vilification that may lead to the conviction of an innocent man”. He called on UNC members to back Warner.
Several Government Ministers also support Warner including UNC deputy leader and Housing Minister Dr. Roodal and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan. Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma, Junior Transport Minister Stacy Roopnarine, and Justice Minister Herbert Volney.
The PM said she does not want to address the matter until she speaks with Warner who returns to Trinidad on Thursday.