And while Finnegan’s appearance as “Uncle Mike” is the headline tonight – in view of the larger affairs currently afoot – that is only a sidebar. As we’ve told you, Finnegan is known as the embattled mayor Zenaida Moya’a staunchest defender. He’s been away for the past two weeks – and in that time she’s been criminally charged and kicked off the UDP’s National Party Council. And this is where Finnegan’s considerable influence and standing in the party could prove pivotal. If he publicly condemns the treatment of this UDP Mayor – it will be an embarrassment for the UDP and could sap the momentum that’s required to dislodge a politician of Moya’s steely stature.
But if he chooses to leave Moya twisting in the wind, it would almost surely be her death knell as a UDP. So what did he do? Well, the street smart politician played a cagey role today, and spoke even-handedly about healing his wounded party.
Jules Vasquez,
“We know that you are friends with Mayor Moya, what do you make of the developments that have occurred with her? First of all she was brought up on what most people feel are fairly insubstantial charges and second, she has been removed from your party’s national party council.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“Well first of all let me disappoint you. I am not here to discredit my party and I am not here to discredit my government. I think as a senior person in this parry, I am walking down the road of healing my party and trying to get people together. That is the role I want to play and first of all let me
say that I will have a private meeting with the party leader who is my friend for many many years and I will have a private meeting with Miss Moya who is also my friend and you know that I have a political affection for her. So I will meet with both of them privately and then I will take it from there.”
Jules Vasquez,
“I understand that you don’t want to bring down your party but what instinctually are your feelings to see an elected official of the UDP taken to court on criminal charges? It has to hit you somewhere in your gut.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“Well first of all I want to make it empathically clear that I don’t believe Miss Moya thief nothing from nobody. The views of the DPP’s office is different from mine and that is all fair. But I would hope that the energy and vigour that the DPP and her office pursuing Miss Moya, I will hope that same vigor and energy is used to convict those out there, criminals who are creating havoc on the people of this country. And thirdly, I have absolutely trust and confidence in the Prime Minister of this country. That man is zero tolerance when it comes to dishonesty and corruption. His task is a gargantuan one, grandiloquent, and I wish him all the best. But that task is a tall order.”
Jules Vasquez,
“If you think indeed he is working in absolute good faith as you have said, it has then to make you wince to hear him refer to in the very disparaging way as the Mayor did to this man whom say is operating in the best interest of the company.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“The Prime Minister doesn’t have any control over the DPP office and you and I would never want to see any government or politician have any control over the DPP office. So I would want to believe and I believe that the DPP is acting in isolation of the executive.”
Jules Vasquez,
“But Mr. Finnegan the Mayor said, [Insert of Zenaida Moya: ‘somebody doesn’t have balls].”
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I didn’t hear it myself. It was told to me and so I don’t want to comment on something I didn’t hear for myself but I have no doubt that you probably is telling me what she said.”
Jules Vasquez,
“There aren’t many ways to interpret it.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“That might be unfortunate, that might be unfortunate and we don’t want to take it along that line. Maybe she probably was boxed in a corner and it is unfortunate but as I said earlier I will talk to her in private and I’ll talk with the Prime Minister in private and I think that I can bring about healing. Now in terms of expelling her from the party or from the national executive, in my view you don’t expel people; my humble and simple view. You don’t expel people from political parties. Political parties are to win people and bring them in and if she violated party rules and party principles there are penalties that you can apply on her but you don’t go to the ultimate, the ultimate penalty. Man nuh even dah court, they charge you for thing and the ultimate penalty is life imprisonment and the judge said alright I will give you 15 years.”
And while Finnegan wants to mend fences – the war at city hall continues – and in our next segment – we’ll tell you about the latest scandal sheet being put out on the Mayor from inside the City Council.
