I’ll make you UNC leader

FORMER United National Congress (UNC) leader Basdeo Panday has offered FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner the post of Political Leader of the party --now held by Winston Dookeran.

The offer was made during a reception in the VVIP lounge at the Dortmund Stadium in Germany after the thrilling draw between the Soca Warriors and Sweden two weeks ago.

A source told TnT Mirror: “Panday, Warner and UNC executive members, Vasant Bharath and Dr Tim Gopeesingh were all celebrating the exciting drawn game when the Soca Warriors “spirit” went to Panday’s head and he told Jack that he would give him leadership of the UNC when he returned home.

Panday, who was former Opposition Leader and party chairman had handed over leadership of the UNC to Dookeran, who is now on the verge of being expelled from the party.

Warner, a UNC Deputy Political Leader, had all his top party officials seated with him in the VVIP area in the three matches which the Soca Warriors played in Germany recently before failing to qualify for the second round of the competition.

The source told Mirror that Panday feels Warner is currently riding a massive wave of popularity and is receiving kudos from a wide cross-section of the community for his role in getting the Soca Warriors to qualify for Germany, thereby making TnT the smallest nation to ever compete in a World Cup final.

But sources close to the UNC executive say Warner is not interested in being Political Leader of the party and is instead eyeing President’s House instead of Whitehall if the UNC can pull off an upset victory in the next general election constitutionally due next year.

A UNC activist told Mirror that since Warner has boasted of meeting with kings and heads of states in the 168 countries he has travelled, he would want to be in the running for President if the UNC takes power in the next election.