Some may term it a cat-and-mouse game. The more optimistic supporters of the People's Partnership regime may view the unexpected kid-gloves treatment by the highest "sawatees" of the United National Congress of its former chairman Jack Warner in quite a different light.The second possible scenario speaks of an admission, perhaps unwittingly, by the party's inner sanctum that some kind of compromise should be reached with Warner, in view of the two important polls to be contested later this year.
These two distinct possibilities emerged during last Monday's weekly public forum of the major partner (UNC) in the PP regime held at the UNC Tabaquite constituency which was addressed by some of its leading platform speakers headed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.My argument for the above theories is as follows:
Soon after he resigned the chairmanship of the UNC, his cabinet position and as MP for Chaguanas West, Warner pledged his unstinting support for the prime minister and gave his word he would not do or say anything to hurt his dearly beloved UNC."UNC to the bone," he solemnly swore.In stopping short of resigning from the UNC and in what seemed to me as being an incredible stance, Warner maintained he was very much interested in fighting on a UNC ticket.
Incredible in that the party has a screening process and to announce his candidacy, or wish to be that person, seems to be out of sync with the democratic process at this time when the seat has not even yet been declared vacant.The same can be said about the names of certain Cabinet members being "tipped" to contest the Caroni West seat before a single nominee had been screened.
Warner, who jumped the proverbial gun and launched his campaign to regain the seat last Sunday, again shows, according to the way I see it happening, he is prepared to run as an independent if he is not selected as the UNC candidate.He risks falling afoul of the party's constitution if he should violate the rules of the UNC he says he loves so much, by violating such a fundamental provision in the organisation, which forbids a member to contest against a UNC candidate in national elections.
At Sunday's meeting he made some unflattering comments about the PP government and a former cabinet colleague whom he described as being "very vindictive."Although reserving his most critical remarks for the opposition People's National Movement, the tenor of his speech to put it mildly, gave the impression that Jack Warner was on a collision course with the hierarchy of the UNC.
So on Monday evening, with an impressive lineup of top-notch speakers I was surprised that none of them was in any way critical of their beleaguered political colleague. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar who followed her ministers, in fact praised Warner for his contribution to the party and the country over the years.
It was as if word went out that Mr Warner was not to be criticised by those who were never afraid to put water in their mouth publicly. Like the PM, the nearest they came to uttering anything even remotely uncomplimentary of Mr Warner was that the party was bigger than any individual.So there you have it.Is it possible that the PP frontliners are reluctant to anger Warner in that he stands a more than even chance of regaining the Caroni West constituency seat in the by-election on a non-UNC ticket?
His potential value and influence for the PP's fortune or lack of it along the East/West Corridor could be very effective in 2015, if you dear readers understand my drift.I saw Monday night Sport Minister Anil Roberts and Labour Minister Errol McLeod seated to the right and left of Persad-Bissessar.Up to the recent past Warner occupied one of those seats and looking at the front row Monday evening I couldn't help but wonder what was going through Warner's mind in the context of his being absent from such an occasion.
To end where I began, am I right in reading that a decision has been taken by the UNC top brass to ignore Warner's criticisms so as not to distract the party from successfully prosecuting its by-election campaign? Or, is it that all gloves will be taken off after the start of the UNC's campaign gets under way?Either way interesting political times are just ahead and I will be ringside for this epic battle, which no political enthusiast can afford to miss.