Jack describes rise to power

The 70-year-old, who was speaking at a constituency meeting in Charlieville, also expounded on the internal politics of FIFA especially around election time.

Warner, who assumed presidency of CONCACAF on April 6, 1990, revealed that he quickly rose through the ranks to become “the second highest sporting personality in the FIFA” by 1998.

The source of his power, though, lay in his ability to increase CONCACAF’s membership and as a result its ability to be a defining factor during voting time at FIFA elections.

“I became powerful as the CONCACAF president because I was able to increase the membership of the Caribbean Football Union of which I was also president from 1974 to 2011 into a strong fighting unit to the point where the CFU had 28 out of 40 members in the CONCACAF,” Warner explained.

The ex-Minister of National Security noted that during the period 1992 to 2011, no other president of any Confederation brought more countries to FIFA than he did because he was of the view “that to expand the beautiful game of football there was need for a paradigm change where even small territories such as Anguilla and Aruba, BVI and USVI and even the Cayman Islands should be included. “I never had an elitist policy. As president, my goal was to include and embrace every island state,” he declared.

By increasing FIFA’s membership, Warner simultaneously bolstered his own power as CONCACAF president with his ability to sway its members to vote as one and greatly influence decision-making in FIFA.

Indeed, Warner revealed as such in attempting to explain how he became into possession of the Centre of Excellence in Macoya.

He noted that there was a flurry of letters between him and ex-FIFA boss Dr Joao Havelange in May, 1998, as he sought a US$6million loan from FIFA to acquire land to build the Centre of Exellence. Dr Havelange, who approved the loan, later converted it into a grant.

Dr Havelange’s unwavering financial support to CONCACAF and Warner may have been influenced by a meeting that took place in Antigua in 1997.

Warner revealed that Dr Havelange had solicited his support for the campaign of Sepp Blatter who was fighting against Lennart Johannson to succeed him as head of the global football body.

And while Blatter won the presidential elections in Paris in 1998 by a score of 111-80, there seems to have been a discrepancy in the voting process.

It was a surprising admission by Warner who stated that at the Congress, “Haiti was absent and with Blatter’s permission, I got Captain Horace Burrell’s (of Jamaica) girlfriend to vote as the Haitian delegate by saying, ‘Oui!’ when Haiti’s name was called.”

Warner was later placed on six out of 11 FIFA committees, the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Cup hosting rights was given to TT and financial assistance was further provided for building the Centre of Excellence.

“In 1998 therefore, I had delivered and since then I emerged the second highest sporting personality in the FIFA,” he declared.

Warner also boasted of his track record as head of CONCACAF and noted that he enhanced its coffers from US$40,000 in 1990 to an astonishing US$37 million when he resigned in 2011. He noted that a lot was achieved due to the support of Blatter including hosting of back-to- back Caribbean Football Union (CFU) age group competitions in Trinidad.

But with their relationship becoming strained, Warner argued that several allegations have emerged against him trying to taint his character. “One must ask the question how did little Jack Warner manage to stay in his corner under the radar and enjoyed so much success for so long?

“Or is it just that what we are seeing today is the vindictiveness of an oligarchy against one who attempted to challenge the power of a Eurocentric and white regime and thus balance the playing field so that leaders of every colour, race and ethnicity could have a fair chance to become a president of FIFA?” he queried.

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Roodal upset by Jack’s criticism of PM.
By Gail Alexander (Guardian).

Dangerous ground

Dangerous ground. UNC deputy leader Roodal Moonilal has said ex-minister Jack Warner did not consult the party about resigning his Chaguanas West seat and is now treading on “dangerous ground,” after “veiled criticisms” of the Prime Minister on Thursday night. Moonilal said Warner’s issues were not about representation of his seat, but other matters facing him. “Winning Chaguanas West doesn’t automatically mean entering the Cabinet,” Moonilal said.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday declined to comment on Warner’s latest statements and actions, saying she was not privy to what was said during Warner’s public meeting in Chaguanas on Thursday. Contacted in Canada, where she is on Government business, the Prime Minister said she had not yet seen Warner’s statements and could not comment. She said she will be returning home today. Attorney General Anand Ramlogan also steered clear of commenting.

And while some Cabinet members support Warner’s actions, others do not. Warner on Thursday had said some of his colleagues support him. UNC Mayaro MP Winston Peters and La Brea MP Clifton De Couteau were present at his Chaguanas meeting on Thursday. Peters hugged him before and after his delivery. At the end of that speech, Warner told constituents he was stepping down as MP at midnight last night, but said he hoped he would be allowed to contest, under the UNC, the by-election that would be due in 90 days.

Moonilal said yesterday he wished Warner the best, adding: “The party will meet and discuss this. He hasn’t consulted us. This will trigger a by-election in one of our safest seats.” He said if Warner is “interested in contesting,” he will be screened as would any other nominees who might arise. Moonilal said UNC had a screening process which will have to play out.

“The PNM has no gains in this as it’s a safe UNC seat and because of that, I don’t believe there would be any nominees,” he said. Moonilal said he expected the by-election would be around the same time the local government election season begins, since the latter’s term ends in July. He said while he understood Warner was trying to validate his position as MP, there was never any doubt about his representation or his popularity in his constituency.

On the Concacaf issue for instance, Moonilal said if Warner had information to support his case he should have assisted the Sir David Simmons Concacaf probe with this. Moonilal said instead, material was produced at the Chaguanas meeting and was “read out by a lady and not all was seen...it was surreal.” He said there were other outstanding issues facing Warner besides the Concacaf integrity report.

He noted the police probe of the Caribbean Football Union issue with Mohammed Bin Hammam, in which Warner was accused of offering members bribes for votes in the Fifa election at the Hyatt Regency, and police probe of the revamped Flying Squad issue. He said Warner had also indicated one of his children was questioned by US authorities. “And there’s a serial by a daily paper about him. If someone was writing about me like that I’d sue them,” Moonilal said.

“So clearly the issue isn’t about Chaguanas West, and if he contests and wins, great, but what’s next?” he said, noting Warner’s other issues. Moonilal said there may also be concern about possible abuse of the Parliament by resigning a seat to contest it to win it simply to prove a particular point. Asked about Warner’s claim of three ministers “misleading” the PM last Sunday, he said when Warner left that meeting there were more than three ministers around.

Moonilal said: “His statements imply veiled criticism of the Prime Minister, making it sound like she keeps changing her mind and can’t make decisions. “But everyone knows the Prime Minister has sound political judgment, so I think he may be treading on dangerous ground with veiled criticism of the leader.” He said the Prime Minister gives directions and in this case, as PP House leader, “99 per cent of the decisions are hers.”

He felt the PM was being perceived as “weak” since society was “accustomed to maximum leaderships like the (Eric) Williams, (Basdeo) Panday and (Patrick) Manning administrations.” Moonilal also said he did not instruct CNMG not to carry Warner’s meeting, as Warner claimed during the meeting.

UNC deputy leader Suruj Rambachan said: “I didn’t hear Mr Warner’s statements, I had gone to a Ramayan. I have nothing against Jack...he’s the best judge of what he’s doing and if what he’s doing is in the PP’s best interests.” He added: “The  party is bigger than any one person so we wait to see what happens, (but) every action has a reaction.”

Rambachan also said he did not instruct CNMG not to carry Warner’s meeting, adding he was not communications minister. UNC Chaguanas East MP Stephen Cadiz, whose seat borders Warner’s, said he supported the Prime Minister and the Government. He added: “Jack is free to do what he wants. But we have an elected Government headed by the Prime Minister and I support that. I can’t support two sets of people.”

Acknowledging the situation is challenging, Cadiz said there would always be challenges in coalition governments. De Coteau said immediately after Warner spoke, he had hoped Warner would not complete his course of action, adding he felt “serious mediation” was needed now. Peters said yesterday he was supportive of Warner and his candidacy. He said the PP should support Warner’s candidacy as he had done “the democratic thing and did what some believed was the right thing to do—resign.” 

He said he did not see why some should be surprised Warner had done so. He declined comment on Warner’s accusations of colleagues being against him.