A former government minister in Trinidad and Tobago, who resigned earlier this year amidst a corruption scandal, regained a place in the country’s parliament Tuesday after a by-election.
Jack Warner, a United National Congress member who previously served as the country’s minister of works and national security, will represent Trinidad’s Chaguanas West district after receiving over twice as many votes, 12,642, as his closest rival Jhadijah Ameen, the Trinidad Guardian reported.
According to the newspaper, Mr. Warner’s win was historic as he is the first Afro-Trinidadian leader “to capture a seat historically held by the East Indian-based parties since the 1950s.”
Mr. Warner, describing himself as “David” to the ruling government’s “Goliath,” said that the win was evidence of the “dawning of a new era” in politics. But Prakash Ramadhar, the leader of the country’s Congress of the People party, called the result “the most dangerous development in T&T politics,” according to the newspaper.
See the Aug. 1, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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