Warner moves in on Panday, opens office in Couva North

Jack Warner made his boldest move yet on Friday in a direct confrontation with United National Congress (UNC) leader Basdeo Panday when he formally opened a private political office in Panday's Couva North constituency.

It's in reaction to Panday's decision to open caretaker offices in Warner's Chaguanas West constituency, and in Tabaquite and Mayaro, which are represented by Warner's "RAMJACK" colleagues, Ramesh L. Maharaj and Winston "Gypsy" Peters.

Panday said the actions of the three dissidents have led to the decision to establish committees to look after the people in the three constituencies because the MPs had deserted the people who voted for them.

That's a charge each of them has dismissed, noting that the three targeted constituencies have the best representation in the country.

Warner has argued that Couva North has the worst representation and in his ads for Friday's meeting his Platform for Change is suggesting that the people would have relief of 33 years of neglect.

Panday first won Couva North in the 1976 general election and has won the seat in every election since then. But in 2007 his support plummeted from more than 14,000 votes to just under 9,000 and his popularity among Couva North supporters dropped from a high of 79 per cent in 2000 to just around 46 per cent in 2007.

Warner has said that's clear evidence that people want change, starting in Couva North.

Before finalising plans for the opening of the office Warner sought the advice of the Speaker of the House of Representatives who said while there is no rule that says he can't do it, there is the possibility of friction with the sitting MP.

The Speaker also advised Warner that his private office would not have access to government funding and resources that's normally available to each MP's official state-funded office.

Warner has promised to "deal" with Panday at Friday's meeting. Earlier in the week he threatened to sue Panday for suggesting that the $309,000 that Warner gave the Chaguanas Borough Corporation on Monday might be from drug dealers who want to control the corporation.

Read commentary below: Can Couva North be Panday's Waterloo?