From Jamaica Observer

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday staged a walk-out of her own, apparently not willing to listen any further to embattled Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner’s contribution on her Government’s handling of the economy and his promises to have “the last laugh”.

Warner, whose presence in the Parliament commanded the attention of a contingent of foreign and local press, was in the midst of speaking about what he described as Government’s “voodoo mathematics” with the economy when Persad-Bissessar stood and began to gather her things. This was during debate on the Variation of Appropriation Bill.

“I refuse to listen to the offensive of a person like this. I find this very offensive,” Persad-Bissessar stated curtly, before walking quickly out of the chamber.”

Warner’s face registered no emotion as the PM took her exit and he continued to lambast Government’s spending and to question Finance Minister Larry Howai on which State programmes were taking a big hit in the face of decreased revenue and efforts, now, to curb spending.

As he opened his contribution yesterday, Warner noted that upon entering he had heard Persad-Bissessar making an “impassioned” plea for him to retract his attack on the reputation of the country.

He said he found her concern touching but he wondered that similar concerns were not expressed about other locals facing extradition to the United States and who had generated up to 89 charges of corruption on local soil.

He was part of the Cabinet that attempted to pass Section 34 in the dead of the night in order that these two men would not face extradition, Warner said, referring to businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.

It was at that point that House Speaker cautioned Warner “not to go there” as he was in danger of imputing the Government side.

Warner backed off but stated that at the end of the day, the truth will be revealed.

Warner said Persad-Bissessar, herself a senior counsel, should know that everyone is innocent until proven guilty but she has continued to judge him.

Warner, a former FIFA vice-president, on May 27, spent a night in jail after it had been announced that Government, acceding to a request from the United States, had begun extradition proceedings against him, for trial in that country under allegations that he was party to corrupt practices in FIFA.

Upon his release, he vowed to unleash a plague of Government scandals and he claimed, on Wednesday, to have documented proof of a connection between United National Congress (UNC) campaign funding in the last general election and money from FIFA.

Government ministers and the Prime Minister have since called Warner out for making mischief and have denied receiving funding from him.

“I will have the last laugh,” Warner said, having stated earlier that he will continue, in the meantime, to shoulder the mockery and the insults being heaped on him.

Persad-Bissessar had in her contribution pleaded with Warner to be a patriot and to stop tarnishing the image of the country. The PM compared his actions to a calypso by the late Lord Melody (Fitzroy Alexander), “Shame and Scandal”.

“What she has seen so far is the shame, the scandal is yet to come,” Warner teased.

He said he was also amazed that charges coming out of the US could have been read out last week into the Hansard and he considered this to have been a “break from the norm”.

But Warner asserted that no one will “jumbie” him or set his agenda.

To the cheers of the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), Warner, addressing claims earlier by Persad-Bissessar that her Government had not, in its development of communities, discriminated against PNM constituencies, said there were several large projects that were already on train when Government entered office.

He said Government was trying to take credit for things they had not started.

At least two of these, he said, were the Diego Martin Highway and the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension into Point Fortin, currently under construction.

Yesterday’s debate, the Motion to Adopt the Second Report of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on consideration of proposals for the Variation of Appropriation 2015, had only shown up Government’s mismanagement of the economy, Warner said.

He said there were a lot of things being done in Government that were “wrong” and he accused Howai of failing to tell the truth about the state of the economy.

TRINIDAD EXPRESS
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