By Clint Chan Tack Saturday, September 19 2009

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Political lessons: Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, left , and Congress of the People leader Winston Dookeran chat with students of Charlieville Governm...

RENEGADE United National Congress (UNC) Chaguanas West MP, Jack Warner, and Congress of the People (COP) Political Leader, Winston Dookeran, yesterday held political unity talks in the full view of the public as they met for lunch at the Breakfast Shed in Port-of-Spain. Their meeting came 24 hours after Warner told a public meeting in Couva, a new political unity initiative was in the works, but gave no details.

At 12.15 pm yesterday, Dookeran and Warner walked side by side along the waterfront near the Hyatt Regency Hotel towards the Breakfast Shed.

Along the way, they stopped to chat with some school children. They also spoke with customers at the Breakfast Shed.

This was the first time since the 2007 General Election in which Dookeran has publicly met with a senior member of the UNC for face-to-face discussions.

As they sat down to lunch, Dookeran told reporters he told a COP convention in San Fernando on May 25, that he would be meeting with Warner. “The time has come now to have this meeting with the hope that we can discuss what are his concerns and his platform for change, so that we can start a dialogue from now on,” he declared. UNC deputy leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar spoke at that convention about political unity.

Asked if this was the start of formal unity talks between the UNC and COP, Dookeran replied:

“This is primarily between two of us at this point. We have no other involvement of anyone else at this point. We don’t know where and what it will lead to. We are here to talk about the future of the nation. We have no further agenda beyond our meeting today.” Warner agreed with Dookeran that this meeting was necessary, and was not worried about the UNC taking any additional punitive measures against him. “The party has not taken any punitive measures against me. I really don’t think the party can either. If and when they do, I will deal with it,” Warner said. He declared that he has always been “as transparent as possible,” on the issue of change.

Warner reiterated plans to hold a UNC convention on November 29, appoint an interim national executive, and hold internal elections. Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday yesterday said any talks between Warner and Dookeran were irrelevant because they were not supported by the UNC. He said Warner had no authority to call a UNC convention, or take any other action without the party’s approval.