In a bid to redeem himself from racial statements made by Guyanese speaker Jailall Kissoon on the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) platform last week, Jack Warner kept his final by-election address to his supporters clean. As he made a last ditch effort to muster votes at tomorrow’s poll, Warner, who was speaking in Felicity on Friday, promised not “to go down there,” meaning to the level of his detractors and opponents.
Warner said he will accept the offer of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for him to return to the UNC. However, he promised to do so once the acceptance of his return is unconditional. “Would the Prime Minister accept me if I turned up in green, or is it only the colours of yellow or orange that matter? Is it that for us to return home we must abandon our new freedom and the enlightenment we have found in the ILP?”
He also queried if the PM would accept all philosophical differences and fix the UNC’s constitution, which was stymied when Khadijah Ameen was selected over him. Warner said when the Constitution of the country is eroded by the Government, it raises questions about people’s rights, freedom and privileges. Today, Warner said, people’s rights are being affected on the basis of their political affiliation.
“Tomorrow it may be race, the next day culture, the following day it may be religion, until all our people’s rights have been eroded by a reckless Government heading along a suicidal path, destroying anything in its way.” Warner said he was advised that those on the opposite side are planning to frustrate his motorcade today. He said that even late into Sunday false rumours would spread that he suffered a heart attack, was arrested and had returned to the UNC just to get your votes.
Warner pleaded to his supporters that when they go to the polls, not to vote for Ameen because their votes can send a signal to the Government that it was all right to tamper with their Constitution.