Jack back in UNC executive

"I will take the fight inside," he declared yesterday as he made his way to his first meeting of the party’s executive committee at Rienzi Complex last night.

"He (Dookeran) told me that I cannot carry the fight from outside, but should join him inside. And I agree to join him inside as from this evening. I will take the fight from inside. Mr Dookeran is the political leader and if he says that is what he wants me to do, I will do it," Warner said.

At last week’s executive meeting, a letter from Warner explaining why he did not attend was read into the records.

And according to sources, chairman Panday had said that the executive should keep a copy of this letter for reference in the event that disciplinary action had to be taken.

According to the UNC’s constitution, a position can be declared vacant if the holder of the office misses three consecutive meetings, without just cause.

Earlier, Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran had also joined his first meeting. Ramsaran said, "If certain things don’t happen, I may consider sitting in the back benches and joining my colleague Gerald Yetming."

The MP who won the post of regional representative (Central), said he was loyal to both UNC chairman Basdeo Panday and Dookeran as political leader. Yesterday, there were three meetings at Rienzi Complex. The first was the parliamentary caucus.

This was followed by the "healing" meeting of all candidates. Then the party’s executive held its second meeting. "Dookeran had issued a release late yesterday (after his meeting with Warner) stating that he had called on Warner to attend future meetings.

Dookeran reiterated that the charges that the recount process was flawed were too critical to be swept under the carpet. He explained that the issue of electoral integrity was not just an internal party matter, but had implications for the party’s image in the national electoral process.

"The same principles we demand of the national electoral process must guide the party’s internal elections. If not, we have no basis upon which to stake our claim (to government)," he said.

Dookeran said Warner’s best decision would be to stand up for these principles from within the party executive.

Warner arrived from New York this afternoon and after his discussions with Dookeran, proceeded to Rienzi Complex for the meeting.

At the healing meeting, candidates were urged to try to begin the process of reconciliation. There were no specific suggestions for how the healing could be achieved.

An agenda was being worked out, however, and there is the likeihood that another meeting would be held. Candidates were told not to speak to the media about the meeting.

Among those who attended the meeting, which was called by chairman Basdeo Panday, were Hamza Rafeeq, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Dr Adesh Nanan, Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, Sadiq Baksh, Roy Augustus and Rabindra Moonan.