While COP leadership candidates Vernon de Lima and Prakash Ramadhar believe Works Minister Jack Warner should step down while the FIFA probe against him is in operation, their colleague Anil Roberts believes Warner should not resign. COP MPs, Roberts and Ramadhar and COP vice chairman Vernon de Lima are in a three-way race for COP's leadership on July 3 after the incumbent Winston Dookeran said he would not contest the top post. Ramadhar on Tuesday said Warner should resign.
De Lima also says Warner should resign:
"Absolutely. Warner is innocent until proven guilty but the Westminster system we use demands that when you're charged with anything as a criminal offence, the correct thing to do is step aside 'til the matter is resolved in the same way as Mary King was made to step aside." "Warner should also step aside of his own accord and the COP has said so. Our position has been consistent, it's the same position we took on the King issue." De Lima is part of COP's executive which issued a statement recently calling for Warner to step down after the FIFA bribery allegations issue broke.
But de Lima's and Ramadhar's rival, Roberts said: "Government has to wait until the outcome of the FIFA probe on Jack Warner is completed before acting in any way on Warner. Any decision on Warner ahead of that would be premature and immature," Roberts said the respective cases of Warner and ex-minister Mary King are different. Roberts had called for King to resign last month following allegations and statements by her. King was eventually fired by the Prime Minister and her issue is being probed by the Integrity Commission. Roberts said: "King's issue is different to Warner's. King admitted she didn't disclose her interest, was present at the opening of a tenders box and appointed her personal political assistant to an evaluation team.
"In Warner's case, all we have are allegations which Jack says is rubbish. So we can only await the outcome of FIFA's probe." Roberts added, "If the findings are negative, I'm sure the Prime Minister will act accordingly and so will Warner if convicted. If we all have to resign on every allegation subject to completion of a probe, who will run T&T?" "Why didn't Keith Rowley resign on the Scarborough hospital issue and when his leader asked where the money went?" On another issue, de Lima believes the COP's leader should not be in Cabinet-bound by collective responsibility-and should be free to build the party and ensure its integrity stance. But Roberts says: "The idea of the leader remaining outside the Cabinet is good for anyone who wants to remain in Opposition. You have to be in the Cabinet to make decisions and plans and be effective."