Jack Warner Wins

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We present and encourage progressive Caribbean views of Caribbean and world affairs.


Mr. Jack Warner
The late President of Guyana, Mr. Forbes Burnham, once talked about the vagaries of democracy. We believe that the victory by Mr. Jack Warner is instructive of such. Democracy like the weather is unpredictable. That is why, we guess, it is said that the voice of the people, is the voice of the Lord. Once the ballot legitimizes the democracy we are expected to accept it as if it were the divine wish of a superior being.
We hold no admiration for Jack Warner but his victory in the by-election of Chaguanas West, in our opinion,   clearly sends the message, that the Caribbean electorate has a tendency to place personality and likability above all other considerations, in determining the suitability for political office.
We are therefore forced to admit that perhaps politics “has a morality of its own”, a position held by former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Basdeo Panday. We therefore posit that the vagaries of democracy give hope to all those who can get their names on a ballot, irrespective of their morality or character.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, was obviously the real loser in this contest. Quite frankly her about face in condemning Warner as corrupt after defending him for many years was alarming. She tried to insult the intelligence of the constituents and paid the price. Her political light is rapidly dimming and we imagine it is only a matter of time before it will completely fade away.
The next several weeks will reveal Mr. Warner’s intentions and we would not be surprise if he turns his attention to becoming Prime Minister. We also note the dismal performance of the opposition in this contest and its failure to garner at least ten percent of the vote. Luckily for its leader, Dr. Keith Rowley, it achieved the low expectations it had set.
Our position on Mr. Jack Warner's remains unchanged. He is not fit for public office. However, we respect the right of the constituents to participate in the democratic process and therefore we accept the decision of the constituents of Chaguanas West to elect the representative of their choice. We must also be fair to Mr. Warner because he resigned and returned to the people for a new endorsement and was successful.  His political stocks are now greater than they were before this victory. Such are the vagaries of democracy.



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