PNM gearing up for battle

The People’s National Movement (PNM) is gearing up for its September 16 internal election.

And while no announcement has been made of any potential challengers to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for the post of political leader, sources said several people – including longstanding party members – have expressed interest in contesting various positions on the executive.

Sources said PNM Chairman Franklin Khan would likely contest the position unopposed as would Colm Imbert and Camille Robinson-Regis in the posts of vice-chairman and lady vice-chairman, respectively.

Government senator Foster Cummings is said to have offered himself for the post of general secretary, which has been vacant since Ashton Ford’s abrupt resignation in February 2017.

Assistant secretary Daniel Dookie has since been fulfilling the role of general secretary.

It is Cummings’ second attempt to challenge the post after losing to Ford in the 2011 internal poll. Cummings is currently the elections officer.

In other developments, Linus Rogers is seeking to contest the position of election officer while Clayton Blackman has offered himself for the position of education officer.

Point Fortin Mayor Abdon Mason and Nal Ramsingh are reportedly in the running for the position of field officer.

Ramsingh, who is said to be a hard worker, was rejected as the party’s candidate to contest the Chaguanas East seat in the 2015 election.

At the PNM’s last general council meeting two weeks ago, Imbert said people wishing to contest positions can do so during the period August 13 to 17. He also said then the voters’ lists had been finalised.

In a statement yesterday, the party’s elections supervisory committee advised that nomination forms would be available at Balisier House and the Tobago Council from tomorrow during normal working hours until the close of nominations.

The committee added that nomination forms had been forwarded to all constituency chairmen and secretaries to be made available from all PNM constituency offices.

Rowley had beat former Arima MP Pennelope Beckles-Robinson by a landslide in the last internal election, on May 18, 2014.

The party hosts its annual Sports and Family Day on Sunday at the Edinburgh Recreation Ground, Chaguanas.