Newsday story "misleading, false and fabricated": Warner

Jack Warner issued a media statement Friday in his capacity as Chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) noting that a Newsday newspaper headline and article headlined "Draft Letter To Max" in Friday's paper "is highly misleading, false and fabricated".

The article states that UNC MPs were urged to endorse Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the post of Opposition Leader by signing a draft letter that has been quietly prepared for dispatch to President George Maxwell Richards.

It stated further: "UNC Chairman Jack Warner yesterday said the letter has already been drafted and is ready for delivery to Richards."

In his statement, Warner said: "I wish to state categorically that at no time did I make any such comment to the newspaper in question or to any other media house.

"The comments attributed to me are therefore most unfortunate. In the circumstances I wish to disassociate myself in totality from the commentary ascribed to me.

"Further, I wish to state that Mrs Persad-Bissessar and members of the newly installed NATEX of the UNC are unaware of the said letter or of its pending dispatch to the President. Whether such a letter exists is unknown to the NATEX and certainly did not emanate from us.

"The issue of the appointment of the Opposition Leader was raised briefly during the meeting of the NATEX on Wednesday but at no point in time was there a decision to lobby members of Parliament by way of letter or otherwise.

"In fact, the NATEX concluded that there were more important matters relative to the restructuring of the UNC that required urgent attention at this time.

"The appointment of the Opposition Leader is an issue we collectively agreed would be dealt with in the fullness of time and was not one that required any hasty or rushed intervention.

"We hold strong to the principles of a free press and of the freedom of expression. We are also confident that the said media house holds equally strong to those principles and would act accordingly in setting the record straight, Warner said.

Newsday says it stands by its report. The paper said Warner told its reporter that he was holding talks with UNC MPs and was confident of getting their endorsement of Kamla Persad-Bissessar for oppostion leader.