GRIFFITH wants warner inquiry

Griffith’s letter is as follows:

Mr Fazal Karim,
General Secretary,
UNC Executive,
Rienzi Complex,
Couva.

Dear Mr Karim:

I am writing this letter pursuant to Article 12(A)(iv)(h) of the UNC Constitution requesting that the National Executive immediately commence an investigation into a pattern of conduct engaged in by Deputy Political Leader Jack Warner tending to bring the Party into disrepute in contravention of Article 21 of the Constitution.

The specific actions that require investigations are as follows:-

1. Breach of Code of Conduct Paragraph 4:

Disclosure of Confidential Party Matter to the Media:

Mr Warner was appointed by the Political leader to conduct an enquiry pertaining to the circumstances surrounding the UNC Internal Elections recount for the post of Deputy Chairman and North West Regional Representative. Procedurally, Mr Warner was required to submit his report to the Political Leader and the Executive for consideration prior to public disclosure. However, on December 25, 2005, every daily newspaper, Newsday, Express, and Guardian, reported on Mr Warner’s substantive findings and carried comments he made. The Political Leader Executive became aware of Mr Warner’s report through the media.

Such behaviour amounted to gross indiscipline and a flouting of the Political Leader’s and the Executive’s authority. This amounted to a breach of the Code of Conduct Paragraph 4, which states “No arm, organ, committed or unit should take precipitate action by publicising views on policy matters which are under active consideration by the UNC.”

2. Breach of Code of Conduct - Paragraph 10:

“No member of the party should engage knowingly or recklessly in making false allegations against another member,” The Newsday Section A, dated Tuesday January 3, 2006, is headed “Jack hits out at UNC critics.” This article quotes Mr Warner as making adverse and false comments on both the initial Ag Chairman MP G Yetming and Executive member Gary Griffith, whereby he condemned them for not accepting his recommendations pertaining to the recount. He is quoted as stating that “they were sour grapes,” “who vex, vex”, etc when at no time did any of the two individuals make any statements whatsoever to the media regarding the findings of the Inquiry. 3. Breach of Code of Conduct - Paragraph 9:

“Persons seeking office and/or canvassing support for prospective office holders or candidates for same must not resort to character assassination, dirty tricks or the use of propaganda based on race, religion, sex or other discriminatory expressions or practices.”

Mr Warner in a reckless manner openly attacked the then Political Leader, the Honourable Basdeo Panday on a nightly basis on the Progressives platform during the UNC Internal Elections campaign. Mr Warner openly challenged Mr Panday’s character and attacked his credibility, bringing the then Political Leader and the party into disrepute. The Guardian on October 29, 2005 carried an article by Gail Alexander in which Mr Warner was virtually hounding Mr Panday out of office. Warner referred to presumably private conversations with Mr Panday and claimed eight MPs supported removing Mr Panday as Opposition Leader. Regardless of the truth or falsity of this assertion, it had the effect of bringing Mr Panday and the UNC into disrepute.

4. Breach of Code of Conduct Paragraph 1:

“No individual who is a member of the party UNC should engage in conduct which in the opinion of the Executive is prejudicial to the interest of the UNC, and Para 3,” Officers and members of the Units should be free to express personal opinions but should at no time make public statements that suggest anything other than a movement towards solidarity in the UNC, and Paragraph 5 “No one unit or any component part thereof should commit the UNC on its own, except where such commitment is based on policy decision of the UNC.”

Mr Warner breached these three codes when, after the Internal Elections: he made a nationwide press statement that he was having meetings with nine Opposition MPs to have the then Leader of the Opposition removed from that post, subjecting Mr Panday to ridicule, in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the UNC. Rather than project solidarity, Mr Warner’s comments promoted disunity and division. On October 14, 2005 in the Guardian Mr Warner accused Mr Panday of pulling “another fast one.”

5. Breach of Code of Conduct Para 2:

“No member of a Constituent Unit should engage in conduct which is likely to bring the UNC into disrepute,” and para 1 “No individual who is a member of the United National Congress should engage in conduct which in the opinion of the Executive is prejudicial to the interest of the UNC.”

Recent television footage showed Mr Warner in a confrontation with British journalist Mr Jennings. Such conduct is unbecoming of any responsible individual, and in particular of a Deputy Political Leader of the UNC. We now have the distinction of the BBC reporting that a senior UNC official attacked one of their journalists. Such conduct is clearly prejudicial to the UNC.

Furthermore, Mr Warner, in a UNC public meeting held on May 8, 2006, made what can only be conceived as a racist remark when he said “No foreigner can come to my country and harass me, ESPECIALLY (emphasis added) a white foreigner.” Such a racist statement contravenes our Constitution’s Mission Statement, Aims and Objectives page three and four. Furthermore on May 22, 2006 the Association of Caribbean media Workers (ACM) issued a statement to the media condemning Mr Warner’s action against Mr Jennings (please see attached).

6. Breach of Code of Conduct Paragraph 1, 2, and 3, and 8:

Mr Warner has openly attacked the character of the Political Leader, the Hon Winston Dookeran, on a regular basis. An example of this was in a television interview held earlier this year (tapes of which can be submitted to you), where Mr Warner stated, “The Political Leader never says anything, he does nothing and when he decides to say anything, nobody understands what he is saying.”

Recently, he said at a public meeting that the Political Leader should take his “Jahaji Bundle and go.” This demonstrated a lack of “sensitivity” to the historical struggle of a large section of citizenry and by extension, our Party’s membership. In the perception of many, this statement amounted to an attempt at unilateral expulsion of the Hon Political Leader by Mr Warner. 7. Ridicule of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar

When Deputy Political Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was recently appointed Opposition Leader, Mr Warner indicated to the media that her appointment was an interim one pending resolution of the UNC leadership issue. This statement, which was not authorised by the UNC Executive or the UNC Parliamentary Caucus, tended to bring the Opposition leader and the UNC into disrepute. Based on the foregoing, it is clear that these matters require an independent, impartial and transparent investigation in order to restore the Party’s good name and image.

Sincerely,

Captain Gary Griffith,

UNC Executive Member - North West Representative