Jack Warner withdraws hanging petition

Changuanas West MP Jack Warner and COP Deputy Chairman Vernon De Lima with the mother of one of the murdered fishermen at Wednesday's launch of 'A Fisherman's Plea'. Broadcaster Hansly Ajodha is also in the picture.
(Ann Dookie photo)

Jack Warner issued a statement Friday in which he announced that he is suspending the national petition for the enforcement of the death penalty, which he launched on Wednesday.

The petition titled 'A Fisherman's Cry' was aimed at getting widespread support for hanging convicted killers.

The bill to categorise murder and hang convicted killers did not pass in Parliament last year because the opposition refused to support it. It is continuing to oppose the bill, which Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bisssessar has promised to take back to Parliament.

The Chaguanas West MP and Works and Infrastructure Minister launched the petition in memory of three fishermen from his constituency who were murdered at sea last month. The family of the murder victims say they are disappointed with the decision.

Kathleen Boris, widow of one of the fishermen with her daughter, Priya Ramsaran, at the family’s home Friday. Guardian Photo by: Shastri Boodan

In a statement to the media Warner said he took the decision following Thursday's cabinet meeting.

"With immediate effect, I have decided to suspend the initiative that was started to implement the death penalty. My thanks are hereby extended to all those persons and/or organisations that had assisted me at the launch. This is my final statement on this matter."

Commenting on Warner's decision, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said cabinet did not give any directive or reach any agreement the pro-death penalty petition.

Speaking at a news conference at the Parliament, Waterfront Complex, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain Friday Persad-Bissessar said the cabinet did not sanction the petition and suggested that it would be "foolhardy" for any minister to sign it.

However she ackowledged that it is "an issue of conscience". She did not offer any suggestion as to why Warner decided to suspend the petition. "I have not spoken to him on the matter, so I cannot say what influenced him,” Persad-Bissessar told reporters.