By RICHARDSON DHALAI Saturday, August 15 2009

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Mayor Natasha Navas...

CHAGUANAS West MP Jack Warner yesterday opened an office at Jerry Junction, Carapachaima to serve constituents of Couva North MP Basdeo Panday, while saying Panday would no longer be able to use an office at the Chaguanas Borough Council (CBC) to serve Warner’s constituents.

It was the latest move in a tit-for-tat in which each man has tried to act as “surrogate” to sideline the other MP.

Yesterday was the last day that Chaguanas Deputy Mayor Orlando Nagessar was able to maintain an office at the CBC.

Warner said the decision was taken by Chaguanas Mayor Natasha Navas following a council meeting earlier yesterday.

Warner explained the closure of the deputy mayor’s office by saying none exists for the Deputy Mayors of Point Fortin or San Fernando. He said only the Deputy Mayor of Port-of-Spain has his own office, while noting that was the capital city.

“So the days of Orlando Nagessar having an office are over,” said Warner.

He alleged that Nagessar had abused that office.

Warner said the spanking new office would be converted into work-stations for each councillor to be able to meet his/her burgesses. Each work-station would be equipped with computers and would be fully-staffed to facilitate the councillors.

As for Panday using Nagessar’s office to meet constituents, in a quip Warner offered to provide alternative offices to Panday should he request it.

He reminded the audience that he had supplied Panday with an office for three months after his official constituency office had been forcibly shut last year.

Warner also revealed that Navas had yesterday met acting Commissioner of Police, James Philbert, who had promised to provide 35 SRP officers on motor-cycle to fight crime in the borough.

He also said that constituency offices for the Toco/Manzanilla constituency would be opened in two weeks time and would be run by Mayaro MP Winston “Gypsy” Peters.

Warner said his new office in Couva North would be open five to seven days per week, unlike Panday’s, and would be run by a staff of three persons and equipped with computers and fax machines.

The office, he said, was a collective effort with his fellow dissident MPs.

Tabaquite MP Ramesh Maharaj reinforced this point, by saying he would use the office to meet former Caroni workers to ensure they are given the plots of land promised by the Government.