The Jack Warner Debacle 2013-05-09
Former national security minister Jack Warner is expected to return to Parliament for this afternoon's sitting of the House of Representatives.Warner said he would take up a vantage position in the public gallery to hear the Speaker declare the Chaguanas West seat vacant which he resigned as MP on April 26.
He also responded to a comment by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who said on Wednesday if any member of the United National Congress was to contest the Chaguanas West by-election as an independent, he or she would be expelled.Warner said yesterday he did not think the Prime Minister "could have been speaking about me or even to me when she made that statement."He said he did not "fit in any one of the categories" to be expelled from the UNC.
He said he remained a member of the UNC and he would be screened by the UNC.Warner said he would not allow himself "to respond to the Prime Minister or anybody else in any tit-for-tat campaign, nor will I allow myself to have any debate with anyone in the public about my campaign."He said he wanted to remind the UNC of a series of events in 2001 "when Ramesh (Maharaj) broke away from the (UNC) government, brought it down, formed his own party, Team Unity, and caused the government to lose office."
He said the UNC "lost the Tunapuna seat by 200 votes because of a Ramesh candidate and five years later, Ramesh was the UNC candidate for Tabaquite, a seat which he won."Warner insisted, however, that he had no intention of "going down that road."He said he was not in any way disturbed by any threats of expulsion. "But if that is what the party has for me, having put them in Government, it is no problem."He said he would face it if it came.
Meanwhile, legislators are expected to debate The Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2013 today.It seeks to amend the Customs Act, Chap 78:01 to enhance border control by providing for advance passenger and cargo information to be submitted electronically to the Comptroller of Customs and Excise and for related matters.It will be presented by Finance and the Economy Minister Senator Larry Howai.