Politics of distraction? - The Peter O'Connor column

This has been a week of “breaking news”, and actually this is the second writing of this column, the first, I thought ready to go, when the Integrity Commission issued their “advisory” on the Jack Warner alleged conflict of interest issue.

Before I continue this, I should state, in case there is anyone who does not know this, that I have been a friend and working colleague of Jack Warner since 1974. So, now to the issue:

The issue of Jack Warner’s service position in FIFA, an International Sports Association, appears not to be addressed in our Integrity Legislation or Parliamentary Code of Ethics. When these documents were drafted they really were addressing concerns about monetary gain and activity in businesses, consultancies and the like.

When Jack Warner formally entered politics in 2007, as a candidate, he was already a Vice President of FIFA, and President of CONCACAF, CFU, and an “Advisor” to the T&T Football Federation.

As an Opposition Member of Parliament , these “offices” did not represent a conflict of interest. When, in 2010, the Peoples’ Partnership won the election, with Jack Warner retaining his seat with the widest margin in history, everyone expected him to be appointed a Cabinet Minister.

This was largely due to his strong work ethic, organizational capability, and the fact that he had led the drives which saw Kamla Persad-Bissessar replace UNC Party Founder as Political Leader of the UNC and then the rout of Manning and the PNM in the general election.

Warner had been variously tipped to take several ministries, including Sports, Foreign Affairs and Finance. But people close to him can attest to the fact that he was not seeking a cabinet position, preferring to continue his role with FIFA, in service to the Caribbean and the wider CONCACAF region.

He had said that he felt his mission was accomplished when he led the drive to remove the PNM. Anyway, the Party prevailed upon him to accept the Ministry which would be best suited to his organizational capabilities and achievement oriented approach to solving nuisance issues—Works and Transport.

All along he maintained that he would retain his FIFA position, serving his earlier and wider community. He did say that he would reduce his FIFA activities.

Now, nothing in Jack Warner’s holding the FIFA office while he serves us as a Minister constitutes a “de-facto” conflict of interest, where he could use one office to benefit himself in the other office.

Indeed, the nation felt, and apparently still feels, that Jack is ideally suited for the position of Minister of Works and Transport. When he showed up at the Ministry on June 1^st, he received a reception never accorded any minister in any ministry in all of our history.

The people who would be working for him, and knowing he would be retaining his FIFA position, rallied to his arrival, almost begging to be allowed to get up and begin serving the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

It was the most heartening sign I have seen in terms of a positive beginning to problem solving and better governance.

Another thing that we all know is that Jack, even if he were “burdened” by FIFA duties, will make a better, more proactive, and more effective Minister of Works and Transport than any candidate we can name—and certainly far, far superior to the previous minister.

Enter Keith Rowley, who desperately needed a card to play.

Indeed, the confirmation of PM referring to Prime Minister Patrick Manning in the ever rising Guanapo Church Scandal was another nail in the PNM’s decaying coffin.

The revelations about the houses in South Trinidad cracking apart (these are close to Patrick Manning’s “seismic fault zone” at Tarouba, so that may soon be trotted out as the reason for the cracks!) reflected badly on Rowley’s tenure as former Housing Minister.

So, Rowley asked the Integrity Commission to rule on Warner’s position—was it a conflict of Interest? His request provided tremendous distraction from all the other issues.

It also caused great fumbling within the new government, the Prime Minister seeming totally unsure of herself, and instead of waiting for the Integrity Commission to rule, copped out by saying Mr. Warner would know what to do.

But it should be her call on “what to do”. She appointed Warner, knowing the situation, and she will have to, should she want him out, dismiss him.

However, the Commission did not “rule”—it offered a weak suggestion, which now needs clarification.

In the meantime, I, like the whole country, am hoping that Warner holds on, and that we get back to more important issues that this indefinable conflict of interest suggestion.

Peter's columns also appear in NEWSDAY