Warner, who was provisionally suspended on Sunday pending an
ethics committee investigation into allegations of bribery, asked the members
not to protest against his suspension during Wednesday's FIFA congress in
Zurich.
"At our last meeting we agreed as a Union to support
the incumbent Joseph Sepp Blatter in his quest to regain the Presidency,"
Warner wrote in a letter.
"I wish to assure you nothing has changed — our mandate
was set then and despite it all we must fulfil it." Blatter is standing
unopposed in the election after Mohamed bin Hammam dropped out of the race, and
was later suspended by FIFA along with Warner.
Warner's position is a surprising one given that he had
called for FIFA members to "stop Blatter" as recently as Sunday.
It also raised questions about whether, in writing the
letter and giving advice to members, the Trinidadian has breached the
suspension which bars him from 'football activities' at FIFA, international and
national level.
Chuck Blazer, the CONCACAF general secretary, told Reuters
he had already reported Warner for other, unspecified, breaches by Warner of
his suspension.
"That's a violation of his suspension from all football
activities," Blazer said of the letter.
He later told reporters in Zurich that "we have clear
evidence of a violation of his suspension and we have reported that to the FIFA
secretary general Jerome Valcke." On Monday, CONCACAF announced that Lisle
Austin of Barbados was taking over from Warner as interim president.
Although no protest had been announced or even hinted at by
any CONCACAF member associations Warner urged CFU members to attend the Zurich
congress.
"I, Jack Warner, a servant and believer in the
principles of this beautiful game do humbly beseech you, my brothers and
sisters from the Caribbean Football Union to desist from initiating any protest
action at tomorrow's FIFA Congress.
"My family, our foundation has been rocked and our
strength is being tested but I urge you for the good of the game to attend
tomorrow's Congress and fulfill your duties in representing the
Caribbean," wrote Warner.
"I know many of you are hurting and it is only human
nature that you would want to demonstrate your anger but despite all we must
not fuel a fire set by others to incinerate all that we strive for.
"Daily we are subjected to attacks of division. Do not
lose faith, for in life good will always prevail; there is no better education
than adversity and when this is over we will rise from the ashes and like the
phoenix of legend, we will soar once more.
"We are being chastised for our belief in fair play and
freedom of speech but let not your heart be daunted. We are Caribbean people,
our history is tattooed with stories of struggle, but we have always
risen," he wrote.