Warner in UNC hot water

Similarly, an executive member is calling for an investigation into deputy political leader Jack Warner for “tending to bring the party into disrepute”.

The letter to Dookeran was delivered on Tuesday at his St Augustine constituency office, but Dookeran was not present at the time.

A party source said the letter conveyed some of the concerns which the executive has had with Dookeran’s actions. It also stated that if Dookeran was unable to attend a meeting yesterday to give his side, the executive was prepared to set another date.

The letter is the first stage in a possible series of disciplinary proceedings against the political leader. Other sources said many of the concerns were frivolous. Among them was the charge that Dookeran was operating a “parallel communications unit”. But sources noted that Dookeran never received any funding from the party’s Rienzi Complex headquarters to discharge his function as political leader.

In the meantime, Warner’s actions are being questioned by executive member Gary Griffith, who is the north west representative. In a letter to general secretary Fazal Karim, Griffith said Warner had possibly breached seven of the ten codes of conduct in the UNC constitution.

He said Warner had ridiculed both Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, former Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday as well as “openly attacked the character of the political leader on a regular basis”. On his attacks on Dookeran, Griffith quoted several statements allegedly made by Warner, such as “he should take his jahaji bundle and go”.

On Panday, Griffith referred to Warner’s statements, when the deputy leader supported Dookeran, saying Warner “ridiculed” Panday and “promoted disunity and division”.

“Warner breached 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 Opposition Leader removed”.

On Persad-Bissessar, Griffith said Warner’s reference to her appointment as an “interim one” was unauthorised and brought the Opposition Leader and the party into disrepute.

Referring to Warner’s conduct during the internal elections, Griffith stated, “Mr Warner in a reckless manner openly attacked the then political leader...attacked his credibility”.

Griffith also drew reference to Warner’s attack on British journalist Andrew Jennings, who has written a book about Fifa, the world governing football body of which Warner is a vice president, saying Warner’s conduct was unbecoming of a deputy political leader.

“It is clear that all these matters require an independent, impartial and transparent investigation in order to restore the party’s good name and image,” Griffith said.

Among the codes of conduct which Griffith cited in the letter were:

a) No member should make false allegations against another member

b) Persons seeking office must not resort to character assassination, dirty tricks etc

c) No individual should engage in conduct which is prejudicial to the interest of the UNC

d) No one unit or component should commit the UNC on its own, except where the commitment is based on a party decision and

e) No member of a unit should engage in conduct which is likely to bring the UNC into disrepute.