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That could well be viewed as an emotional or hopeful response by those who have become quite disenchanted with both of the country’s dominant parliamentary parties — the current governing United National Congress (UNC) of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and the People’s National Movement (PNM), led by Keith Rowley.
Traditionally, both of these electoral thoroughbreds have drawn their popular support, based on a pattern of ethnic voting, though always counting on the bloc of independent voters across ethnic lines to deliver overall victory to form a government in Port-of-Spain.
Last Thurs (August 2), while a jubilant Warner was taking the oath to again be the parliamentary representative for Chaguanas—first won by a landslide in May 2010 as a first-time UNC candidate—both the Prime Minister and Opposition PNM were sending unmistakable signals that the raft of financial corruption scandals surrounding the former National Security Minister could yet come back to haunt him.
Further, the reputedly ‘Anancy politician’ may well come to regret his surprising threat at a post by-election press conference on Thursday to sue the highly respected retired Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir David Simmons, over claims of “fraudulent management” of funds for the regional football body CONCAFAC (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association).
Sir David’s scathing criticisms came last April in a report, as chairman of CONCACAF’s Ethics Committee, amid swirling allegations of misappropriation of funds involving once key elements of the regional body.
And according to a report by the ‘Miami Herald’, a spokesman for the US Justice Department, Peter Carr, has stated that Warner’s by-election victory would not exempt him from extradition to face fraud charges in America.
However, it is early days yet, and the shrewd 76-year-old controversial politician should not be denied his celebratory moment for defeating the UNC in perhaps its best known constituency stronghold.
It would not escape notice that his political triumph has come some two years ahead of new general elections, having played a dynamic front-line role for the party’s landslide victory in May 2010, when it captured 29 of the 41 parliamentary seats.
We may, therefore, have to wait for the coming local government elections, likely in October, to know if Warner’s impressive success in retaining that once traditional UNC fortress constituency is indeed the political “game changer” some think it is. Or whether his faithful voting constituents of some 12,642 (compared with the approximately 18,000 at the May 2010 general election) were simply reminding the UNC that their vote to send him back as their parliamentary representative was more an expression of gratitude for the outstanding services he had rendered than anything else?
Some may cynically suggest that Jack Warner’s electoral triumph, under the banner of an overnight party he created to register for the by-election—Independent Liberal Party (IPL)—means that corruption in public life, popularly known in Trinidad and Tobago as “bobol”, makes NO difference to these voters.
CONCACAF Report
That contention could be viewed as a mischievous interpretation. Worse, rationalised on the assumption that corruption is indeed a way of life in the country and “all ah we like it so”!
After all, Jack Warner, redoubtable politician with lots of money associated with allegations of corrupt private dealings, has NEVER been found guilty in any court of law for financial malpractices.
What is also TRUE is that his resignation from Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s cabinet last April as then Minister of National Security became unavoidable once the report of a probe into recurring financial irregularties, authorised by CONCACAF, was released by the confederation’s Ethics Committee .
As “The Economist” reported this past April 25, the CONCACAF inquiry was “a thorough piece of work” led by Sir David Simmons “Barbados’ respected former Chief Justice.”
Warner’s resignation from cabinet quickly followed that expose’ and it also left Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar without even the proverbial fig-leaf to cover her once formidable defender—against all political foes.
The Prime Minister’s opponents have been wondering aloud why she waited so long to disassociate herself from Warner, then also chairman of the UNC?
Her response has been—rather expediently, some say tongue-in-cheek—that it was a report that she could not ignore and wondered why Warner had not challenge the accusations against him as set out in the CONCACAF ethics committee report.
By which time, of course, Warner’s resignations from cabinet and as UNC chairman were fait accompli.
Local government poll
Later, as his detractors, if not exactly political “enemies from within” the Partnership Government, kept firing their barbs, Warner, aware of the vital trump card he held as a former parliamentary representative for Chaguanas-West, was ready to demonstrate his political popularity to contest that constituency against all comers.
And he did so not merely as an Independent candidate, against the full blast of propaganda and political power of a government and party. Rather, as interim leader of an overnight “Independent Liberal Party” (ILP).
Currently basking in the glory of his well-earned victory to return as parliamentary representative for Chaguanas-West, Jack Warner is now looking forward to extend his political base when his former party leader and Prime Minister ring the bell for local government election.
It is that development which could perhaps make the reality of a “new day in politics” that was the title of a quite thoughtful editorial in Tuesday’s ‘Trinidad Express’.
From my understanding of party politics and parliamentary elections within our Caribbean Community, I cannot recall a similar example like that provided by Jack Warner in winning, against all odds, the constituency he first won on the platform of a major political force (UNC) then to defeat that party in a by-election three years later in that same stronghold.
