PNM holds $1,500-a-ticket gala at Hyatt

THE People's National Movement (PNM) held a gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, on Friday night as a fund-raising event. It was due to run from 7 pm to midnight.

It was titled, a September Affair, with the subtitle, Let the flowers bloom. Guests were asked to dress in formal wear in red, white or black.

PNM general secretary Foster Cummings told Newsday the ticket price was $1,500.

"It was a sold out event, very successful. We have a wide cross section of supporters from various sectors across the country. We are having a good time."

On his Facebook page, Prime Minister Dr Rowley posted a photo of himself and his wife Sharon before they left for the gala. Rowley celebrated her birthday on Friday.

The dinner came ahead of Republic Day on Saturday. It also took place as TT culminated the month-long celebration of its 60th anniversary of Independence, the 1962 event which the party has attributed to its founder and the country's first prime minister Dr Eric Williams, although this eminence was recently challenged by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar alleging the United Kingdom had been actively seeking to get rid of its colonies.

The dinner also comes after Dr Rowley recently launched the Dr Eric Williams Memorial Library, formerly the Heritage Library, at Knox Street, Port of Spain. The rebranded facility has been described as a library, archive and museum.

The media was not allowed to cover the September Affair, either inside the hotel or outside.