As far as the interim political leader of the recently-formed Independent Liberal Party Jack Austin Warner is concerned, only one of the party's candidates in tomorrow's local government elections is in court facing criminal charges.Warner, who fell out with the PP Government and formed the ILP, denied that the ILP is a one-man show. He refused to take blame for the mud raking witnessed in the campaign for tomorrow's elections.
Q: Mr Warner, before getting down to brass tacks, let's do some housekeeping in the ILP...
A: Sure (at his Kantac Mall, Tunapuna, office of the Sunshine Newspaper Thursday afternoon).
When would the party become formalised and wasn't it supposed to be last September?
November 30. Elections came, which made it difficult to be done at that time. The COP took two years and they are yet to organise themselves.
Who is the ILP's treasurer?
The party doesn't have a treasurer, we have a general secretary and in today's world that encompasses the treasurer, and we have a 156,000 membership.
Can that be verified?
You can send in anybody you want to verify it but not Cordner (former Flying Squad member Mervyn Cordner), a person who appears to be some kind of a policeman to whom I have spoken with for just 60 seconds and that could be verified anywhere.
Mr Warner, there is the criticism that the campaign has reached a personal level, to the extent that it has never reached in our political history?
(Protesting even before the question is completed) Don't blame me for that, and I am disappointed that the Prime Minister can condone these kinds of attacks by the Attorney General and the Minister of Housing in particular, and I will tell you something...
Before you continue, Mr Warner, haven't you been guilty yourself in carrying out these personal attacks on certain ministers in the PP coalition?
(Legs crossed, a position he maintains for almost the duration of the interview) If you look at the record, I have responded and not even enough. I have always maintained during the Chaguanas West by-election that our campaign should be of a very high level, repeatedly. And that if they cannot come up to our level we must not go down to theirs.
So how do you explain the accusation you made last night that a government minister was frequenting the home of a lady during the absence of his wife from the country?
(Turning slightly around in his swivel chair) I said so to demonstrate that they have as much cocoa in the sun like anybody else.
You said you advised your people not to go down to their level...
(Interrupting) When you could take people's character and talk about people with police charges and being deportees, when you could go on a platform and destroy people's family and so on...
Mr Warner, couldn't it be said that you sank to their level by making similar accusations?
As I said, I responded in kind just to show them that I am capable of doing what they are doing.
You are accusing PP speakers of demonising women. What were you doing when you said, about three weeks ago, your wife could trust being alone with the Warner's helper, but not so the helper of a former PNM woman minister?
Mr Raphael, neither PNM nor the PP have any divine right over gutter politics, but at no time did I make, on my platform, gutter politics the be all and end all in politics.
In one breath you are saying rather cheekily "I won't go there," but in the same breath you made all kinds of personal and, if I may so, salacious accusations against your PP adversaries. Weren't you contributing to that kind of gutter politics?
(Scowling) You may very well say so, and I repeat...neither the PNM nor the PP have any divine right to gutter politics.
So if you cannot beat them join them?
No. No. On the contrary, if I join them I would do it every night.
Mr Warner, you said I have shown no revulsion over the attacks on the ILP's interim deputy political leader Anna Deonarine. What about the parents of Minister Glenn Ramadharsingh who broke down in tears over your accusations against him?
I didn't know that crocodile tears could move you also (with a straight face). I could cry right now if you want me to, you know.
Mr Warner, last week on the campaign trail you made what people considered a scandalous charge, when you told your supporters that the PP Government was planning to plant drugs, arms and ammunition in St Joseph, so that Ian Alleyne would find them, which would then make him look good as a crime fighter.
I never said so...never said so!
Well, correct me then...
I said the reports I have is that they want to foist Alleyne on St Joseph and then they want to plant drugs and ammunition which he would discover and then he would look good as a crime fighter.
Even though you just said you did not say it, by repeating what you said you heard, isn't that being irresponsible coming from a former minister of national security and one who is aspiring to be the country's prime minister?
(A deep frown) Clevon, you see the trouble between me and you is I am speaking from the basis of knowledge, which you are not. And the persons who came to me are very credible. (Accusing some journalists of not doing their jobs in a proper manner.)
Mr Warner, you said on the campaign trail that you have a list of some journalists who received houses allegedly from the State?
I have it.
So what is wrong if journalists buy a house?
I don't want to go on journalists for all the right reasons.
But you have been attacking almost everybody?
No. Mr Raphael, why are you being so oversensitive? I did not know you were coming this morning with this level of sensitivity. If you are oversensitive, I am not. I have been given a list of people who have been given houses.Listen, I was in the Cabinet where you have not been and I heard ministers saying there, "I have x and y and so on..."
Let's move on. Mr Warner, the PP platform has been accusing you of having a somewhat tacit understanding with the PNM to split the votes, so the PNM would win tomorrow's local government elections?
You want to me to dignify that piece of foolishness?
Yes I do.
Okay. Rowley has been attacking me all his life, from the day I hit Parliament to now, mercilessly attacking me. In fact, the reason why I had to leave the Government was on the basis of the attacks which were engineered against me by Rowley and others, and I felt the thing to do was go back to the people and get revalidation.Nothing I have done or said can suggest even remotely that there is any tacit understanding between us.
What about the fact that in a split vote situation the PNM always emerges winner?
Hold on, I am coming to that. Look, anyway, I did not come to split any vote. I came to take all the votes.
The Prime Minister is saying that...?
(Quickly interrupting the question) Yes, I am not waiting because you come here as her spokesman, right? So I know what you are going to ask me, right? The Prime Minister says a vote for me is a vote for Rowley. You haven't asked me about the negative advertising.
Mr Warner, there is this issue of the quality of a number of your party's candidates in tomorrow's election...
I am not aware of a number of them. I am not aware of that.I know of one of them who has a case before the court.
Only one of them?
I repeat, I am aware that one of them has a case before the court, and anybody who has any evidence, as you would like to say, to tell me if anyone has fallen through the cracks, then give it to me.
But Mr Warner, every night for the past week the names of other candidates are being called on the PP platform and linked to illegal activities?
I told you, Clevon, if anyone has evidence of that kind of thing then give it to me. To this day, I have no evidence credible or otherwise of anyone who has fallen through the cracks.I have heard scandal on the platforms, allegations and so on. They say one of them has been charged for begging. I know some who have been convicted who are candidates.
Such as?
I know a convicted man, the PP candidate for St Joseph by-election...candidate for St Joseph. I know about that...
The PP says because of the large number of candidates on the ILP slate allegedly involved in serious criminal offences, you screened candidates at Alcatraz Island in America and Golden Grove in Arouca...
I did not screen candidates in any of those penal institutions. Not me! And everything (thumping his desk) I say I have the facts, I have the evidence.
Mr Warner, about eight years ago I asked you what was your financial worth and you told me then if a senior official of the Ansa Group disclose that information you would in turn do so. Has that situation changed today?
No, it has not, but I will also say that I will tell you what I am worth if you first put that question to Minister Moonilal.