In a media release, the chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) said if Rowley has any desire of winning any public approval as Opposition Leader "he must first and foremost initiate the political court-martial process against his Member for San Fernando East."
Warner added, "He must do as he had promised and refocus the conversation and deliberation on national issues and engage in an effort to unearth the ills perpetuated by Patrick Manning.
"To do otherwise would be an act of betrayal on the people of Trinidad and Tobago and one that may very well inspire a political court-martial against Rowley himself," Warner said.
Warner was responding to comments made by Rowley at a news conference Monday in which he promised to support Manning.
Rowley told reporters, "We stand by our Member of Parliament, assuming that he is responsible and well informed. Mr. Manning does not stand alone, Mr. Manning is a PNM MP and therefore, if he is taking a position in the Parliament, until it has been shown that he has been wrong, we are not taking a position on it.”
In response, the UNC chairman said, "Dr. Keith Rowley's apparent endorsement of the vitriolic and politically acerbic contribution of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning...reinforces the long held view that the present Opposition is clearly operating without any intelligible vision."
Warner said Rowley has now removed all doubt about the perception that the Opposition is consummately inept. "The Opposition Leader has now ensured that that perception has a sound factual foundation," he said.
Manning broke his self-imposed silence in the House of Representatives last Friday to openly attack Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, demanding that she tell Parliament the cost of her house that is under construction in Phillipine, South trinidad, and produce all relevant documentation to show that she did nothing wrong.
"The fact that Dr. Rowley could endorse a presentation from one of his members, who flouted every Standing Order as it relates to relevance and imputing improper motives, is politically befuddling and points to political schizophrenia that is slowly becoming a trait of the Opposition Leader," Warner said.
"This is the very Rowley, who prior to the election of May 24th had appointed himself as senior advocate of morality and integrity in public affairs; this is the very Rowley who spoke of court-martialing all those who misled the nation and who took us down the rocky road of corruption and wastage.
"He was then the "sailor flying the flag of ethics in public affairs".
"Today, in an about turn Dr. Rowley abandons his cherished principles and endorses his colleague who abused the privilege of Parliament to attack a sitting Prime Minister about a private property that was commenced several years aback.
"It is very unfortunate that Dr. Rowley has fallen for the oldest political trick in the book, known very well by Mr. Manning; that is the art of political diversion and distraction.
"It is unfortunate that Manning has succeeded in diverting Rowley's attention from the issues involving the SIA and the whereabouts of Calder Hart and Reverend Juliana Pena," the UNC Chairman said.
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