Whatever the personal opinions of PP MPs about colleague Jack Warner's recent FIFA issues, it all remained private yesterday as they publicly rallied around Warner in the House of Representatives.
All save COP deputy leader Prakash Ramadhar. Entering the Parliament chamber energetically with PP's Roodal Moonilal, Warner was on the receiving end of handshakes, a bounce and hail-out from colleagues. In this order: PP's Colin Partap, Jairam Seemungal, John Sandy, Errol McLeod, Glen Ramadhar-singh and Stephen Cadiz.
(The bounce, of course, from COP's Anil Roberts.) "Your Excellency...welcome back," chorused from Nizam Baksh and Clifton de Coteau. PNM's Pat McIntosh exchanged picong with Warner. Opposition Chief whip Marlene McDonald "crossed the floor" to speak with him. PNM's Paula Gopee-Scoon added, "I make no comment, but I welcome you back." But COP leader Winston Dookeran-whose party has called for Warner to step down on the FIFA issue-put out his hand to shake and received a cool brief clasp since Warner was on his cell phone.
And COP deputy Ramadhar, who suffered Warner's ire for saying Warner should step down, kept his distance from the clasping, bouncing and greeting and said nothing to Warner (and vice versa).
Nor was Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in on the "reunion" with her right-hand seat mate since she was absent from the afternoon session. In debate on anti-terrorism legislation, Warner demonstrated his energy has not been taxed by the FIFA fight in which he and Qatar's Mohamed bin Hammam are involved. But Warner would have been fully aware of the jab being tele-graphed when PNM's Colm Imbert brought up negative reports about Qatar and terrorist financing.
Second Cabinet retreat
Following Warner's weekend rally where he intends shedding more light on his chances in the FIFA probe, the entire Cabinet will be together for three days in Tobago next week, when a second series of seminars, retreat-style, will be held. Ministers were informed of the event at Thursday's Cabinet meeting, it was confirmed. OPM officials said the weekly Cabinet meeting will be held in Tobago on Thursday to be followed by the seminars on Friday and Saturday. Venue is Coco Reef Hotel. It is expected to be a refresher course for members after the first such session last August soon after the PP assumed government. Lecturers then included attorney Martin Daly, former public service head Reginald Dumas, a Harvard lecturer and others. The upcoming event precedes the Cabinet realignment which Persad-Bissessar said takes place this month.
The back-to-the-drawing board effort comes when the Cabinet is grappling with balancing management and development thrust plus "hot potato issues" and increasing internal conflicts being publicly vented.
(Not the least of which is COP leaders' position on Warner.) Currently besieged by issues involving PP top-top brass, Government has-temporarily-contained one "brushfire" involving the controversial NP $40 million contract and questions about no less than the Prime Minister's conduct on that score. Decision to scrap the project-which this column projected on May 21-follows a week after PNM Senator Fitzgerald Hinds received confirmation the Integrity Commission is probing those aspects.
With Ramlogan's report arising ahead of the commission's findings, it remains to be seen what will result from the commission's continuing work.
Warner therefore has brought to three the number of PP personalities under probe locally and abroad, including Persad-Bissessar and ex-minister Mary King. While concerns against King and Persad-Bissessar are local, those against Warner are shared internationally and have raised questions at home about ethics as opposed to Warner's highly touted work ethic. Outwardly, the PP money is on Warner getting off the FIFA charges, especially considering communication he says he's sent to FIFA jefe Sepp Blatter. Despite bribery allegations overhead, Warner's Piarco return on Thursday was to a hero's welcome, though his ministerial colleagues were in lesser evidence at the airport (and Persad-Bissessar, despite her avowed support, absent). Moreso, Warner's media interview-involving strenuous attempts to psychologically disarm questions-revealed how much the FIFA issue may have affected him.
Dooks-'I'm bulletproof'
Warner was sufficiently stung by COP deputy Ramadhar's step-down call to chastise Ramadhar that "leadership means knowing how toe the line." The jab was in reference to COP's election where Ramadhar is a frontrunner against Anil Roberts and Vernon de Lima. (Warner had not similarly chastised Roberts when the latter last month said King should step down.) Ramadhar, probably conscious of how he will be judged where COP's interest is concerned, has indeed toed the line-of COP's position that Warner should demit until his probe is over. In the wake of yesterday's coolness between Warner and Ramadhar, how much Warner's outburst may have (further) damaged UNC relations with COP remains to unfold.
As well, COP leader Dookeran's decision against defending his leadership in COP's July 3 poll has raised questions about his view of the coalition and whether he will remain as Finance Minister in the upcoming realignment. When Rudy Indarsingh was shifted from Works to Labour, Persad-Bissessar said other junior ministers would be shifted to provide back-up for seniors in other ministries. She said Dookeran would be given some "help." On Wednesday in the House, Persad-Bissessar herself gave Dookeran some help when he acknowledged she had reminded him of a Guardian editorial about increased stock market activity. Dookeran, with much physical flourish, also boasted to the Opposition, "...I'm bulletproof from potshots."
(But he was affected enough by PNM MP Gopee-Scoon's picong to tell her he wished she would return to her seat further away, so he would not have to hear her.) If bulletproof, Dookeran's decision to demit from the COP helm indicates he may not be immune from missiles on his own side and that he may have been harbouring doubts about the coalition COP is involved with. If quoted correctly, Dookeran was embattled not only from the government end on handling of national issues such as Clico-and also within COP. Indeed, Dookeran is reported as saying "many" were "dissatisfied with his leadership style."
Further comments harking back to the pre-election seat negotiations with the UNC also signalled long-lingering concerns about the situation. Also, his intriguing comment: "...We agreed to what I think turned out to be a very bad deal in the coalition of forces."
Dookeran demits leadership with Partnership issues still hanging, including mechanisms to consolidate dialogue. Ramadhar's platform appearance alongside Persad-Bissessar in 2009 was one of the first manifestations of UNC/COP unity moves. Both referred to the other as longstanding close friends. De Lima represents the northern COP constituency while Roberts, who claims islandwide support, has denied that Warner is backing his campaign.
...But PNM's Rowley is 'relaxed'
At Wednesday night's House session, Dookeran panned criticisms by PNM's Keith Rowley and Colm Imbert in earlier debate. Both were absent, criticising the Government at PNM's Maloney meeting.
Government's trials have provided enough cushiony plum opportunities for the Opposition if PNM leader Rowley's statements at Maloney were to be taken in a larger sense.
"I feel relaxed tonight, I don't have a lot of work," he said.
Rowley was actually alluding to the number of speakers on national issues who preceded him.
As Government goes to private retreat, Rowley's PNM has gone on the offensive publicly.
At yesterday's House, MP Donna Cox drew a hail of PP retorts when she dared to say: "The national community has awakened and is listening to our leader as you'll see in coming weeks and months..."
"Which leader?!"
"...San Fernando East?!"
"...Johnny Walker...?!" All from PP MPs.
The lead in PNM's groundwork has not necessarily been taken by Man-ning's democracy walk since PNM management has been pulling out (some) stops as the first-year anniversary of its new leadership rolls around next month-with expected scrutiny. Manning's recent walk appeared to have left him fired up to tear energe-tically into Government at his south meeting Tuesday night. His meeting in south preceded PNM's in the north at Maloney on Wednesday and by by all counts San Fernando East's gathering was larger than PNM's May 24 Diego Martin meeting. In the same way there has been physical distance between recent activities concerning San Fernando East and Diego Martin, the situation has lent to some perception of "division" in PNM quarters after leadership officials claimed Manning had not consulted them on the walk, and his subsequent explanation was revealed.
The distance of PNM's leadership and some MPs from the walk com-pounded the perception. As did criticism from PNM's Louis Lee Sing plus retorts from Manning's son and a PNM group (curiously) named the "PNM Renaissance Rebirth" whose members supported the march. Lee Sing has not responded to retorts. Nor has he defended himself against further accusations of "division" following Warner's disclosure that e-mails of support he received included from Lee Sing (whose leader and colleagues have industriously attacked Warner). Simmering concern in some PNM quarters that Manning's action is un-dermining Rowley's leadership have now found voice via ex-MP Peter Taylor.
Taylor has criticised Manning's moves at the same time he has resigned from the PNM led by Rowley. (He says he "needs to be free to speak on national issues.") Still, if not all together in one spot, others in the party appear intent on trying to be on the same page, Manning at his meeting pointedly noted the event was in support of Rowley. In Maloney on Wednesday, Rowley defended Manning, refuting PP claims that Manning had taken three months to move out of the St Ann's resi-dence. (Rowley said Manning took two weeks.) The Maloney meeting was attended by many who had participated in Manning's democracy walk: MPs Alicia Hospedales, Amery Browne, youth members, ex-ministers Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Emily Dick-Ford, San Fernando East chairman Tina Gronlund-Nunez and her unit.
Hospedales and youth speaker Travis Williams, in their addresses, incor-porated the theme of Manning's walk-"We Not Taking Dat!"-which was also heard a couple times from crowd members.
A planned leadership meeting with Manning has not yet occurred. How-ever Rowley meets today with PNM's Women's League on Manning's southern turf. Despite heated Internet debates about the party, chairman Franklin Khan has adopted the view that all views "are of interest" nonetheless. While Manning may be an absentee from next weekend's PNM Family Day, his unit will be attending. Manning, who supports the Parliament's move to the waterfront complex -from September-is expected to resume his seat in that new ambience once the House agrees. The June 17 end of the current session looms after a couple more sit-tings. Parliament officials indicated a ceremonial opening of the second session may be held in July following which Parliament takes its summer recess. In September, members will be based at the new location of the IFC building for about three years while Red House renovation is completed, government officials said.