Jack Warner had replied to an Editorial in the Newsday Newspaper in Trinidad published in the paper's Friday edition under the headline "The Odd couple".The editorial urged Warner to explain his sudden shift of allegiance from his colleague Ramesh L. Maharaj to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, both of whom are challenging Basdeo Panday for the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC).
"You see, Warner is no ordinary MP but is a wealthy political financier, and some might even go so far as to allege, a political investor. In fact in hindsight, one might wonder at the political odd-couple that Maharaj and Warner made, the first an intense moral-crusader and the second the globe-trotting, deal-making businessman," the paper wrote.
Read the editorial: The odd couple
In an immediate response Warner expressed disappointment over the Editorial, which he said "represents an aside which is contrary to your normally high standards of journalism".
He said, "As a Member of Parliament, a Vice President of FIFA and also a businessman I have come to understand the harsh reality of public life and the various interpretations and shades of meanings which can be filtered into one’s actions; this being so, I expect that a free press would at all times be fair, not pampering to their own personal interests.
"I believe in a free press but I also believe that such a freedom can be compromised when the integrity of the institution is brought into question. Your editorial has presented a story line of conflict between my friend Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and me, where his morality is valorized and where mine is diminished.
"You have located him as one whose integrity is beyond the cut and thrust of normal public life and then positioned me in the context of business dealings over which you have raised questions.
"Your editorial has questioned my motive to support Ms. Persad-Biessessar over Mr. Maharaj and makes assumptions that such an act is self serving and not in the general interest of the party.
"Your false insinuations and unsubstantiated allegations raise questions for a newspaper for which I myself held in high regard when it comes to the analysis and publication of news.
"I am not going to argue against the integrity or morality of my friend Mr. Maharaj which you so glibly articulated because such a statement brings to the fore the fact that within the UNC there are persons in good standing competent enough to hold the reins of power both within the party and government and may I dare add that Ms. Persad-Biessessar is one such person.
"I have no problems with your attempt to position my friend Mr. Maharaj on the high moral ground of politics, if and only if, you declare your special interest in him obtaining power and the possibility of what you may stand to gain as an institution were he to lead the UNC into the next General Elections and win.
"Nowhere in your editorial did you mention that it was Jack Warner who initiated the agitations for constitutional internal elections and accountability in the party.
"Nowhere was I credited for prevailing upon the rank and file with a clean campaign that focused on issues and nowhere have I read in the editorial that it was due to my persistence that the January 24, 2010 UNC internal elections came about.
"But this is understandably so. The high ground of integrity and morality demands a declaration of all conflicts of interests in order for society to better judge the contents not only of one’s conversation but also of one’s actions.
"That is why nowhere in the editorial anyone will find mention the fact that my good friend Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has had a legal relationship with your newspaper some three years now.
"All eyes will certainly now be watching to see whether the Newsday through its editorial, news and social commentaries will continue its bias coverage of Mr. Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj or whether it will rise above its personal interests and with responsibility present news that is free and fair as it relates to all the parties vying for power in the UNC internal elections.
"It is informative to note, however, that nothing you have written or will continue to write will affect my relationship with Mr Maharaj or Ms Persad-Bissessar and certainly will have no bearing on the genuine outpourings of the Party members in their quest for change in the UNC."
No comments:
Post a Comment