I think most people in Trinidad and Tobago who have viewed Jack Warner's perceived "vindication" as reason for him to continue as a government minister, have completely lost the plot. This is not the first time that Mr Warner has brought embarrassment to our country. The first time he did it was with the World Cup and he was found guilty of illegally re-selling game tickets, something for which he never apologised.
There we were, as Trinidad and Tobago, taking the world stage, and the FIFA Vice President who is also a Trinidadian was causing us to hang our heads in shame. Today, not only is the embarrassment to us as a people, but it is also to us as a government. Mr Warner is a member of the Executive and Legislative arms of our system of government. He represents us in our diplomatic and policy relations. He has a record of corruption at FIFA and now the world sees him as being our voice on the world stage.
Something is very wrong with that. Mr Warner has not yet escaped this round of allegations and to add to this international embarrassment, every move he makes, people are not only seeing him as a suspended FIFA official, but also as a Government Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. I'm sorry, but I know I speak for many people when I say that Mr Warner's explanation is simply not good enough.
The Prime Minister's support for him is also a source of embarrassment since it proves that the firing of Mary King had nothing to do with protecting the integrity of the Government, rather it was about cleansing the Government of the COP. The Prime Minister has a choice to make and must now step up to the precedent she set. She could not fire Mary King without giving her a hearing, and then "stand by Jack" because he is innocent until proven guilty.
What rubbish! The Prime Minister must by now realise, or maybe her many advisors should whisper to her, that unless she defends her Government from the blight of embarrassment Mr Warner has brought and will continue to bring, her credibility will amount to nothing more than Mr Warner's-zero! She must dismiss Mr Warner and end this continuous embarrassment.
The world is watching us and at the moment, they see us as a people tolerant of corruption and unable to be mature enough to put personal feelings aside and defend the honour of our government and country.
Kevin Ramnarace
Via e-mail