Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has questioned the source of Jack Warner’s Chaguanas West by-election campaign funding. However, Warner yesterday refused to comment on the matter, saying he would not be drawn into any argument with his former leader. Speaking at the UNC’s Monday Night Forum in Warrenville, Cunupia, Persad-Bissessar told supporters: “Warner appears to have a bottomless pit of money.”
She said with his unlimited finances, Warner would “outspend” the UNC in his campaign with television advertisements and full-page ads. She added: “With his amassed wealth—no media is asking where he get the money from? Whether it come from England, America or even Haiti. But everyone who is supportive of the UNC is called a financier.” The Prime Minister also accused Warner of “trying to buy out our supporters.”
“But you are resilient, you are courageous, many have come before to buy you out,” she said. She urged supporters not to “be fooled by money or be bought out.” Persad-Bissessar said Warner had formed his political party, the Independent Liberal Party (ILP), to destroy the UNC and kick the party “out of our homeland in Chaguanas West.”
“Jack Warner is out to destroy and eliminate everyone who has helped to build the UNC to what it is today,” she said as she trained her guns on her former “ally.” She said Warner was teaming up with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley “to remove my generals and lieutenants so that he can try to remove me. If you remove these people you will never see government again. “Today he wants to destroy our leaders so that he can come after me and my job,” she declared.
She urged supporters to stay focused, “stay united so we could stay in government.” The PM also accused Warner of engaging in “twisted logic” and “not so subtle attempts to hoodwink you (constituents.)” Contacted by telephone yesterday, Warner refused to comment on the source of his funding, but assured the PM she need not worry about where it came from.
“I can assure the Prime Minister, SIS (Super Industrial Services) did not give me my money nor any other contractor for that matter, but I do not want to go down there. That is not my style,” he said. “I will not retaliate against her. I told you guys I am not going down to the Prime Minister’s level. I want to maintain that.”
Warner, who was a major financial contributor to the UNC’s 2010 general election campaign from wealth generated through his tenure in Concacaf and Fifa, said he would respond fully on Friday night at an ILP meeting scheduled for Frederick Settlement, Caroni. “I will not retaliate or say anything negative or nasty on the campaign,” he said.
“I said between now and the by-election (July) 29, the Prime Minister and her ministers will say even dirtier things and they may have people to blog even worse matters. I still refuse to be tempted or baited to go down to that level.” Warner also promised to respond to Persad-Bissessar’s suggestion for the conditional return to the UNC by withdrawing his nomination and clearing his name with Concacaf. “Follow my meeting on Friday and see the level and the quality of my campaign.”