Disgraceful Politricking and a Circus in Chaguanas...

With the MOTHER of all motorcades an embarrassing flop, with both the People's National Movement and the Movement for Social Justice opting not to contest the seat and with the deflated Congress of the People (despite remaining a partner in the coalition government) expressing a desire to, the people of Chaguanas West must be concerned as to how they ended up in this most uncomfortable of positions, being forced to be ground zero of a national referendum on disgraced FIFA Vice President, disgraced UNC Party Chairman, disgraced Cabinet Minister and disgraced Member of Parliament Austin Jack Warner, while simultaneously fighting for adequate representation in the Parliament after the circus leaves town. Cast in a damned if they do, damned if they don't scenario where Warner is concerned, surely the constituents must be wondering how they come to be abandoned to this position in the first place? Could the UNC have not found a better means or theatre to act this purging out? And what of the other established and aspiring national parties, the People's National Movement and the Movement for Social Justice? Have they relegated the people of Chaguanas West to irrelevance unworthy of zealous representation? Far from being an internal UNC matter as many would like to have us believe, what happens to Jack Wanner's political future could never be as important  as the future of the constituents themselves and, more than anyone else, the PNM will feel a backlash of epic proportions from the east indian community in the future for this callous abandonment. Why would Dr. Keith Rowley make such a foolish mistake? Is he afraid of Jack Warner and what Jack may have on him that would be exposed in the cut and thrust of a hotly contested campaign? If that is the case then surely he needs to step down as political leader as he is hobbling the party by ducking for cover. For the MSJ this will materialize as an unforced, self inflicted, fatal wound when the dust surrounding the personalities settles and will expose that party as nothing more than an 'anti-Kamla' group. For all the work Abdullah did preparing himself for the big stage and promoting himself as a national alternative, now that the stage is being set to so openly flub his lines is embarrassing when compared to what the same Kamla had to accomplish in a mere three months in 2010 and one that he and his party may never recover from. The COP's play is a bluff as they have neither the personnel nor the finances to engage a protracted ninety day campaign at this level and, being the only ones with an acceptable reason for staying out of the fray in the first place out of 'respect' for their partner in the Partnership, Prakash Ramadhar used the issue to again demonstrate his complete lack of political savvy. Had that party voted WITH the PNM on the Warner motion or even abstained two weeks ago the people might have been tempted to look in their direction for leadership here, but as it is they remain the same waffling, self-promoting group looking to fight causes from the sidelines hoping to benefit from the results by default.

So what now? Enter Vassant Bharath as King Slayer, as David to Jack Warner's Goliath, unleash questionable party financier money against misappropriated football development money and let's get ready to RUMBLE.

And what happens next? History will be recorded by the victor, rewritten to make the reactive plays appear clairvoyant and well thought out, a cloak of decency will be draped over what was nothing more than a naked grab for power, and we will all pretend that this was never about the advancement of criminal enterprise under the mask of politics. Questions still need to be asked of the entire Partnership government though, including the COP, MSJ and NJAC as to funds they may have received from the Warner war chest in the lead up to the 2010 election. If they did, then how much and under what circumstances? And if yes, were not both MSJ and the COP on record prior to the Fyzabad accord warning of Warner and his ill gotten gains? And if exposed as having benefitted from those same gains after the fact, are they not now exposed as nothing short of hypocrites to whom the ends are much, much more important than the means or the words they say? In my view this purge ought not to end with Jack Warner and the people of this nation should insist on it. Others benefitted, facilitated and conspired to be part of an ongoing criminal enterprise, and these persons must also be unmasked to show their own disgracefulness and be made to answer both in the public domain and, If possible and wherever applicable, in a court of law.

PLEASE NOTE:


So, today's column was based on the premise that the PNM was considering opting out of the Chaguanas West bye-election so as not to assist Jack Warner inadvertently, but since i put this into the public domain i understand that the idea is not being given any serious consideration and so the premise will not arise. That said and as a correction I need to acknowledge this new development and advise that the premise can no longer be relied on as fact unless and until any such development is announced by the party. Seems i may have jumped the gun and treated as a forgone conclusion what is still a fact finding discussion with no decision made other than to contest the seat. In the pursuit of integrity i have no choice but to send this out chasing after the initial column to put it to rest. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.

Phillip Edward Alexander