Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner has asserted that the political love between himself and leader of the Congress of the People (COP), Winston Dookeran, has been rekindled and this has strengthened his resolve to continue fighting for change in the United National Congress (UNC).

Warner and Dookeran met at the Femmes du Chalet (formerly the Breakfast Shed) in Port of Spain for lunch yesterday, where they discussed the pressing issues facing the country and a way forward.

’What we have done, we have broken the ice today and there would be continuous interaction. Guys (in the COP) have accused me of some wrongs and I told these guys this is a love scene, and love keeps no records of the wrong,’ Warner told the Express.

Asked what wrongs he was accused of, Warner said, ’They say I left Mr Dookeran, I left the party, that because of my efforts I have kept Mr Panday alive. Whatever wrongs there have been, real or imagined, I repeat, love keeps no records of the wrongs.’

This has been the first time in three years that Dookeran and Warner have embraced each other publicly. In 2005, Warner stood by Dookeran’s side and endorsed him as political leader of the UNC.

He continued lending full support to Dookeran, but in 2006, as Dookeran’s faction battled with members of the UNC Executive over leadership, Warner had a change of heart, apologised to Opposition Leader Panday, and retuned to his (Panday’s) side. Dookeran then broke ties with the UNC and formed the COP. In 2007, Warner and Panday became co-leaders of the UNC-A and were unsuccessful in the general elections.

In 2008, Warner, together with Opposition MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, began calling for change in the UNC and for Panday to step down.

Yesterday, asked if he intends to join the COP if his campaign and calls for change in the UNC are unsuccessful, Warner said, ’I am not a quitter, I will continue to fight from within. I know I have Mr Dookeran’s support and I will continue to solicit his advice and so on.’

Pressed again as to his next step should the divide in the UNC persist, he said, ’I will continue to have a parallel organisation until common sense prevails.’

He said a national convention will be held on November 29 to elect an interim UNC executive and from there he will chart a new way forward.

Warner reiterated that the only way to remove the PNM is to unite all opposition forces and he intends to do so. He said the country’s issues cannot be tackled unless there is unity, especially with the COP.

Dookeran was a bit more reserved in his response, saying that he was willing to meet with Warner and discuss a way forward. He said he also intends to meet with trade unions and the people of Tobago.

’We don’t know where and what it will lead to, we are here to talk about the future of the nation and some of positions to take that we believe would be appropriate,’ Dookeran said.

Asked about the UNC’s call for unity under the direction of its deputy leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who spoke at the COP’s national convention in July, he said, ’Since there has been so much convulsion inside the United National Congress, that in my view has prevented any furtherance of that discussion. I did call Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar subsequently and am still waiting for a response to my call.’

Commenting on Dookeran and Warner’s meeting yesterday, Panday, in a telephone interview, said, ’They are free to do as they wish. We will do our duty as we see fit. We have constantly called for unity. Other people can do as they wish, I can’t do other people’s duty and they can’t do mine.’