Independent Liberal Party (ILP) political leader Jack Warner says statements made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that he cried when he was asked to leave the government in 2013 are false.
Addressing supporters at an ILP cottage meeting in Indian Walk, Moruga, on Wednesday night, Warner said he never cried. While speaking to United National Congress (UNC) supporters in Debe on Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar said Warner cried when asked to leave office in 2013.
“She said I cried. The only time I remember any tears between Kamla and me was when she was crying in Cabinet over Reshmi. She was saying she had been set up,” Warner said.
He was referring to the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine, a junior technician, to lead the Strategic Services Agency, a covert unit set up in 2011 to monitor criminal activities. Ramnarine was later fired because she was unqualified for the job.
“Cabinet had to be adjourned. If you see ‘snatty’ nose. She was crying. That was the only tears between Kamla and me,” he said. Warner said he volunteered to leave the government and was not asked to do so as Persad-Bissessar previously said.
“I cried? When I came out of Kamla office, I met (Roodal) Moonilal, Suruj (Rambachan) and Chandresh Sharma by the door. I said hi and bye and I left. I said to her I will leave and therefore to say I cried is not true,” he said.
Responding to Persad-Bissessar’s statement’s that he was attacking her because she is a woman, Warner said: “She says she is being attacked because she is a woman, well I never heard about so much foolishness but I know as an old hunter...male manicou, female manicou, same shot...when you in the bush you don’t say that manicou will escape because it’s a female.”
Warner said Persad-Bissessar opened her life up to criticisms when she became Prime Minister. “If anybody is delusional is Kamla not me. My friends know what I drink, when I drink and where and that is all I will say.”
What PM Said
Speaking to United National Congress’ (UNC) supporters in Debe on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Warner cried when he was fired from her government in 2013. “Mr Warner came to the Diplomatic Centre, the same centre he is now maligning with his lies, with a letter of resignation. He gave me the letter which I still have, he was resigning from the government and he cried, he cried that night.
“He knew the David Simmons report was coming out the very day when I was out the country, so he took front with it, came and cried and said ‘Hey if you want this I’ll give it to you, keep it whatever.’”