Breaking...

[Exile]

Austin Jack Warner wins by-election for seat Chaguanas West which he resigned as Member of Parliament under the Kamla Persad Bissessar led UNC Government/Coalition amid widespread FIFA-led allegations for corruption. He said he was returning for 'validation'. He formed his own party the ILP (Green) after the ruling party refused him for nomination to represent them. So far he has 70% of the votes....

This is indeed a slap in the face for the ruling and fragile coalition government led by Bissessar. Just recently they had a stinging defeat in the Tobago House of Assembly (local) government elections.

Whether this is an endorsement of Warner - who has been the constituency 'godfather' or a rejection of the UNC-led coalition or a combination of both is unclear. Whether he has been 'validated' or not has left political pundits puzzled as to the outcome and future politics.

Exile Armchair Reporter in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

[Mosiah]

Good to know is not we one fool!

[Islandman]

Dwl, 70% of the votes sounds like "validation" to me!

[Exile]

New day in politics



Story Created: Jul 30, 2013 at 3:10 AM ECT
Story Updated: Jul 30, 2013 at 3:10 AM ECT

At At the end, everybody “knew” how it would turn out. But hardly anyone had dared to assert with confidence the compelling likelihood of the result.

Jack Warner, the challenger to the ruling order, yesterday won the Chaguanas West by-election that he had himself audaciously caused to happen. In 2010, Mr Warner had won the seat with such a majority as to devastate the hopes of those then in contention and future aspirants.

Three years later, the outrageous political fortune entailed in largely unanswered accusations deriving from his international football involvements worked to impel his resignation as Chaguanas West MP. At that point, it seemed, any number could play.

The long-running Jack Warner saga could be read as finally finished. Or a new chapter was about to be scripted.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, until that decisive moment three months ago, had been his staunchest stalwart and most reliable enabler. As head of government, as political leader of the UNC and of the People’s Partnership, however, sustaining trust and faith in Mr Warner suddenly appeared insupportably burdensome.

History will likely never know for sure the content of their conversation that ended with a parting of the ways. He determined to cut clear from his attachments to government, party, and legislature. Ms Persad-Bissessar later claimed that he had failed to consult with or brief her beforehand about his intentions.

On the morning after the July 2013 Chaguanas West by-election, however, narrative detail of a defunct political relationship claims less interest than does the imminent political reality.

Though he could have been easily assumed to be the champion to be defeated, a victorious Mr Warner, having triumphed handily over rivals, last night stressed: “It was not easy.”

It will certainly not be easy to parlay the winning of a single constituency into causing quality change in the politics of T&T. The “beacon of change” sighted by the victor last night may point the way, without necessarily signalling how to affect the content of “representation”, a term much ballyhooed in this campaign.

To an even greater degree than Mr Warner won, Ms Persad-Bissessar suffered defeat that was political and no doubt painfully personal. She had thrown herself into the campaign for Khadijah Ameen and against Mr Warner, heedless of the fact that she had, until short months before, supported him in all the areas in which she lately condemned him.

In Chaguanas West, Ms Persad-Bissessar demonstrated above all that her best efforts were not good enough for the task at hand. It is the Prime Minister and UNC/People’s Partnership leader who turns out to be the significant loser, even as challenges freshly await for local government elections.

T&T will no doubt accept yesterday’s result, taking for granted, as it should, the integrity of the electoral process. Once again, this country can take justifiable pride in its Elections and Boundaries Commission’s handling of this basic exercise exemplifying democratic principle and practice.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/comme...217536111.html

[Me]

And keep in mind is a 90 odd % Indian area that. Jack help out nuff of them with job and a "small thing" so them not letting that go. Him is them area don.

[Gamma]

Jack will be "king maker" yet again!

[Muadib]

"Black Man Time" ??

[Assasin]

What a hard man fi dead. LOL

[Mosiah]

Tiefin' man time!

[Bricktop]

That's what he said...

[Gamma]

Ah bwoy....

[Sir X]

The Jamaicanization of Trinidad.