"Panday cannot be trusted by anyone": Warner

Last week JYOTI published a letter by Richard Williams Thomas that the writer directed to four political leaders: Basdeo Panday, Austin Jack Warner, Kamla Bissessar and Winston Dookeran. Thomas asked each of the four why they cannot unite for the benefit of the majority in Trinidad and Tobago.

Warner has replied, stating that the reason is simply that "Basdeo Panday just cannot be trusted - not by me, not by anyone."

This is what Thomas asked in the open letter to the four:

"If President Barack Obama and Hilary Rodham Clinton...could embrace...why does anyone feel the same cannot happen were Basdeo Panday, Austin Jack Warner, Kamla Bissessar and Winston Dookeran all agree to an open, straightforward contest to decide which of them will win the minds and hearts of all who yearn for one, united, alternative political force to the PNM and who, by the way, comprise the overwhelming majority of the population of Trinidad and Tobago? Eh? Why not?"

In his reply Warner stated that "Panday’s history has demonstrated that he lacks loyalty, his words lack credibility and his politics has a morality of its own."

Here's the rest of what Warner said:

"A panoramic glimpse of his politics reveals fractured and broken relationships with those who dare challenge him for the position of leadership or even dare to disagree with him.

"Yet, based on such a record, you dare call on us who have been betrayed before to submit ourselves to further abuse and other acts of betrayal?

"Isn’t it passing strange that of the ten MPs and the six senators who were part of the original ULF only two, Nizam Mohammed and Kelvin Ramnath, remained with Mr. Panday after it was broken up?

"Have you ever asked yourself the question why or sought an answer from the other fourteen who parted ways with Bas with a view to determine the reason?

"Did it ever occur to you to parlay with former President Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson to discuss the basis upon which he and the ole Bas parted ways and how Mr. Panday’s betrayal when he could not exercise the dominance in the NAR government that he had anticipated, he pulled out his then ULF faction and robbed Trinidad and Tobago of a really great opportunity to unite on the basis of philosophy rather than on the basis of race?

"Was this ever considered an option by you? How can you trust Mr. Panday who after Mr. Robinson gave to him the Government of the day in 1995 he removed Pamela Nicholson, one of the two NAR Parliamentary Representatives from his Cabinet and Nathaniel Moore and Agnes Williams all aligned to the NAR from the Senate?

"What sort of gratitude was that to a man who could have offered the seats to the PNM instead?

"How come in the presence of so much available voluminous evidence of betrayal you dare call upon us to give Mr. Panday a chance?

"Have you considered the implications of what you are asking?

"This is the same man who ignored the presence of senior members of Cabinet and appointed Daphne Phillips and Lindsay Gillette to act as Prime Minister in his absence.

"Wasn’t this act a lack of trust in his friends who toiled with him as he climbed the rough side up the mountain?

"When the former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj raised questions of wrong doing in his government with him, did he not ignore the warning and accused him of colluding with the PNM to bring his government down?

"When his Government did fall under the banner of corruption wasn’t it the same Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Jack Warner, Anand Ramlogan and a host of others that he now derides who rallied to his side to save him from sure jail yet he ignores the goodwill that was offered him branding us neemarkharams and in spite of that you are calling on us to trust him?

"The list of ingratitude and mistrust is not exhaustive. Before you decided to ask open questions of that nature you should have spoken to Dr Fuad Khan and Gillian Lucky and ask them for their opinion and this question would have never been asked.

"Before you raise questions of trust you should have dialogued with Hulsie Bhaggan, Gerard Yetming, John Humphrey, Trevor Sudama, Manohar Ramsaran, Ganga Singh and the list goes on.

"The stories, my brother, would have revealed a total and complete lack of trust in Mr. Panday who is not only a stranger to the truth but one who will never honour his word.

"You want to know about why he cannot be trusted just talk to the friends and families of the little African boy he adopted who died homeless on the streets in Port of Spain.

"You want to know why he cannot be trusted, my brother, then talk to his chauffeur whom he abandoned in times of need who is in grief still on his dying bed.

"You want to know why he cannot be trusted, my brother, just try to relive my experiences with him.

"His betrayal of Winston Dookeran who was forced out of the party is the most significant of all why he cannot be trusted.

"He promised to hand over the leadership, publicly stated that he did so, then did everything to undermine Winston while he still held on to the reins of power.

"Is this the man that I must trust? Is this the man you ask us all to trust?

"If I agree to your request then I have to admit that politics has a morality of its own; one that is immoral.

"Sorry, my brother, but the Honourable Basdeo Panday cannot be trusted. And consequently I have to reject your proposal.

"Regards, Jack Warner"

In response to Warner's reply, UNC Senator M.F. Rahman wrote:

"It is as if Judas tries to discredit Jesus with charges of treachery. ‘Jack’ begins with a ‘J’ and he is no Jesus.

"Hundreds of thousands accept Panday and continue to trust him. They have no desire for his position. Those who covet his position and failed to dislodge him remain embittered."

Read related story: "I don't trust Mr Panday": Dookeran