If the People's Partnership (PP) administration so wished, Wednesday's Parliament landscape might have been one they could have exulted in. They were the only ones in Parliament following the suspension of People's National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley, PNM MPs' subsequent boycott and that day's absence of Independent Liberal Party (ILP) MP Jack Warner.
But after his day in court Wednesday and a jail "visit," Jack was back in Parliament yesterday. In full cry and not brooking "insults," he accused PP House leader Dr Roodal Moonilal of tossing at him when Moonilal repeatedly played on saying Warner was "unavoidably absent" and "detained" Wednesday.
Walking slowly into the Parliament courtyard, braving a heckler and reporters–including one who came from Germany to interview him–when Warner arrived in the Chamber he was greeted by some PP MPs who openly stared. Some asked how he was "going."
"Alive and kicking..." he replied (proceeding in question time to demonstrate just how much).
PP's Stacy Roopnarine went over to greet him. Congress of the People's Prakash Ramadhar patted him briefly on the forearm. Warner acknowledged him, luke-warm.
Less than a week after declaring ILP would contest all seats for the general election, Wednesday's US indictment on "The Fifa 14" hit Warner with US allegations from racketeering and bribery to fraud, including allegedly requesting certain executives to create a document purporting to be a contract.
The entire matter, a double-edged sword for all parties in T&T's election, including Warner.
With 60 days–until August–for the US to undertake its formal extradition request, AG Garvin Nicholas said Tuesday the court matter's length will be determined by issues including evidence and appeals. It remains to be seen whether any other matter Warner may have has any bearing on it.
With Warner's career on the line–and his fighting hard to stave off the end–the situation hardly benefits Government, despite his distance from them. Apart from the implications of his threat of a "tape" and that he's going after the Prime Minister, the PP's distance from Warner since he resigned from Cabinet in April 2013–under pressure after the Simmons Concacaf report–may be insufficient for PP to escape perception about its ties with him between 2010 and 2013.
Some still recall that front page photo of the PM, practically bowing, kissing Warner's hand immediately after the PP won on May 24, 2010. The US court indictment document also detailed alleged doings in 2011. He was part of Government then. Only after he resigned did he and the PP become enemies.
His defence in the matter so far appears a political one. With no convictions, Warner can still contest a general election seat though his immediate path targets Government. A parallel to post, April 2013, when it appeared Warner was determined that once he was out of government, he wasn't going down alone. And proceeded via ILP, to divide PP votes in Chaguanas West, Local Government polls and St Joseph's by-election.
The only break in "hostilities" was in January, when the PM teased him in Parliament saying he was once on her side distributing toys and "...perhaps one day we may see that time come again, side-by-side." Warner, however, has taken the mantle of Opposition-hood seriously recently, handling issues in the PNM's absence.
With the PP's "Renewal" rally last Sunday launching its bid towards a fresh political identity, repercussions from the Warner situation remain to unfold where public perception is concerned. Especially those of undecideds who may be weary of the flow of PP-associated drama.
How the PP manages that remains to be seen in how it presents its election "case" and candidate choice. Persad-Bissessar acknowledged public concerns when she told rally attendees of a commitment to grow from PP's experiences and introduce new ideas from" fresh talent, new resources."
Warner now joins the PM and PNM's Dr Keith Rowley–beset by Emailgate clouds of certain size for each–as a political contestant offering themselves to the public with issues overhead, further complicating public choices.
The PNM, after raising concerns about Warner at term's beginning, appeared to embrace him after he left Government. Rowley, referencing Warner in 2013, said, "here's a maxim" the enemy of my enemy is my friend...and I'm a very friendly guy. We're all parliamentary colleagues first and foremost, we have no control over who fills the spaces behind us." No hostilities were noted either when Rowley, Warner, Movement for Social Justice's David Abdulah and Alliance of Independents' Nicole Dyer-Griffith marched together in Chaguaramas three weeks ago.
At last Sunday's PNM rally Rowley signalled he's mounting a moral-and spiritual-values platform, the linchpin on which former president ANR Robinson vetoed the UNC, choosing PNM for government in 2001. It remains to unfold how well Rowley's PNM does on that score also.
The only person who seemed to be having the last laugh over Jack is former PM Patrick Manning, out of the political fray, whose Facebook post the day Jack was detained noted, "In 2010 the lyrics to a song Crazy sang, which was sponsored by the PP, went like this: "Jack Warner yuh have him in a corner!" Manning dryly noted the "him" was supposed to refer to him.