Works Minister Jack Warner yesterday wished Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah "good luck" with his political future.

Warner said he while was "not surprised" by Abdulah's announcement that he had pulled his party from the coalition government, the MSJ exit was merely a "bump or a hump" in the political road.

"If he feels it is better outside the People's Partnership than inside then good luck to him. One would have thought that he would have been of more value to his party and his union from inside the Government than outside it," Warner said. The Minister made the statements to reporters after a stakeholders discussion on the new traffic plans for Woodbrook and St James yesterday at the Ministry of Works on Richmond Street, Port of Spain.

"You leaving a Government to go and start a party? In the fullness of time he will see the error of his ways," he said.

Warner challenged the MSJ to call a mass membership meeting and invite him to it, because he wanted to see how many members they really had.

Warner said Abdulah was always in a difficult position trying to please both the Government and the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) where he sits as the general secretary.

"He serves two masters, one the OWTU whose purpose in life is to bring this Government down, and two, he serves this Government whose purpose in life is to improve the lives of the people in this country, so the two are polarised," he said.

He reiterated that MSJ's move away from the coalition did not weaken the Partnership in any way.

"I have already said one from five does not leave four, it leaves the People's Partnership," he said.

Warner said Abdulah's resignation may even leave the party stronger as now they only have to focus on external attacks and not internal friction.

He said he did not see Labour Minister Errol McLeod's remaining with the Government after MSJ's departure posing a problem.

"He went up on a UNC (United National Congress) ticket, not MSJ, they were not around as a party then," he said, adding, "we are able now to stay focused and live as a party, as a group, once again," he said.

Warner also commented on the resignation of Laventille West candidate Juliet Davies from the United National Congress yesterday citing a lack of proper membership representation among her reasons .

"I do not want to be unkind to Juliet Davies, because she is on one of the biggest recipients of benefits from this Government. Ask her what more she didn't get," he said.

"When she answers you, therein lies her problem," he added.

—See Page 19