Warner says a Panday victory will be the end of the UNC

Jack Warner told supporters in Penal Thursday night the January 24 internal election of the United National Congress (UNC) would determine if the party lives or dies.

Warner, who is the current UNC deputy leader in charge of administration, is running for the post of chairman.

His meeting was held at the same venue that UNC leader Basdeo Panday used to launch his cmapaign a week ago. Penal junction is in the constituency of Siparia, which is held by leadership contender Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Last week she dropped in on Panday's meeting but was snubbed by all officials, although she was warmly greeted by some UNC members. On Thursday, on her way to he own meeting in Dow Village, California, she stopped to greet supporters and was welcomed by Warners officials as well.

Warner arrived after Persad-Bissessar but in his speech he thanked her for dropping in, noting that it is the mannerly thing to do.

Then he waded into Panday and warned supporters that if they reelect Panday the party that they built will be destroyed. He said over the past five years Panday has presided over the demise of all the institutions of the party and has failed to maintain any kind of structure.

The Chaguanas MP said since his election to the post four years ago he has been trying without success to get access to the party records. "I could get FIFA records, I could get CONCACAF records" he said, "but I cannot see UNC books."

Warner demanded to know, "How the hell you could run a party so?...Not even a parlour is run so!"

Warner said after his victory on January 24 he will begin preparing the party to return to government. "First we will fix the party and then we will fix the country," he said.

He pledged to work from the bottom up saying that is how the party will involve its membership in the decision making process. For too long we have been talking down to our members," he said.

Warner called on UNC members to reject Panday and his entire team, saying none of them deserves to be on the party's executive. A previous speaker, researcher Ashwani Mahabir, had presented statistics to show panday's declining support and Warner referred to the data to show that Panday cannot take the party back to government.

But he warned that there are going to be attempts at electoral fraud. He accused the party of coneraling the location of pollin stations but pledged to find out the details and publish the list of locations folr everyone to see.

And he urged members to be vigilant. He said he would be monitoring each polling station carefully to try to prevent fraud.

On a separate issue he declared that he will withdraw the bail bond he is holding for Panday's wife, Oma. He said he has held it for four years but due to recent developments during the campaign he can no longer do it so the Pandays should find another bailor.

Mrs Panday is charged with her husband and two others with accepting bribes while Panday was prime minister.

That case is due for hearing this year along with Panday's retrial for failing to declare some of his assets that are held in London.

He was convicted and jailed for that but the Privy Council threw out the conviction saying there was political bias. However it ordered a new trial.