Four-way battle for PNM leadership

THE tussle for leadership of the PNM is now a four-way race, with three challengers to the Prime Minister.

Speaking at the end of nomination day on Monday, elections supervisory committee (ESC) chairman Anthony Roberts announced that Dr Rowley, Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Junior Barrack and Ronald Boynes are vying for leadership of the party.

Nominations were filed at the PNM’s Central Office at the corner of Chrissie Terrace and Southern Main Road, Cunupia between 8 am and 4 pm.

All except Rowley filed their nominations themselves. Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Sigler Jack and chairman of the Diego Martin West constituency office Robert Cezair filed nomination papers on behalf of Rowley, as he was unable to do so owing to parliamentary duties. The two completed the filing at about 11.40 am.

Asked about her prospects of winning, Nunez-Tesheira said: “Dear me! I have never been good with the Lotto. I want someone to buy Lotto for me so I can play. But this is not Lotto. This is about what people think I can bring to the table.

“I want to make it clear that I am not challenging the government. My chances of winning the party leadership? I hope that what I would have said resonated with the national community...that I will walk the walk. I will not just talk the talk."

With her slate of Kenneth Butcher, who is contesting the post of chairman, and Bishop Victor Phillip for elections officer, Nunez-Tesheira hopes to change the way PNM does business to better reflect what the founding members envisioned for the party.

Nunez-Tesheira said her public statements about concerns over the three-day electoral process reflected her transparency as she hoped the party would be.

In a letter to Roberts, Nunez-Tesheira said the three days of voting: November 26 and 27 and December 4, were of grave concern. She said the three-day voting was not unlawful, just uncommon

She said the ESC responded to her, but the issue raised remained unchanged.

On Saturday, Rowley, when asked about Nunez-Tesheira’s challenge, said  the leadership of the party was "a matter of life or death."

Asked about that, she said: “I take that as a compliment. I don’t know how else to take that. I never thought I was considered that way but if the PM does, I take that as a compliment to me, that he sees that I am a good candidate worthy of consideration.”

She said since joining the PNM she has never not been loyal to the party, but there was a sense of disconnect within the party, reminiscent of former French queen Marie Antoinette who dismissed the suffering of her people, saying, “Let them eat cake.”

She said while the government is making insensitive comments and demands, it will be the party’s job to change that narrative so that disquiet can be addressed.

Similarly, Boynes said his challenge is about bettering the PNM and by extension the country. Boynes held a media conference at his New Street office on Monday. An attorney and brother of former sports minister Roger Boynes, he said he, like Jesus, asked that "this bitter cup" be passed from him. He accepted the challenge, he said, on behalf of the people.

Boynes is not new to the internal political landscape and was accused by Rowley in the 2018 internal elections of flip-flopping between the PNM and UNC. Addressing this, he said 26 years ago a friend approached him to join the UNC, which he did for a few weeks before resigning.

"I bring something different to the equation. I understand that the economy has to be transformed, there has to be a transformation of how we do things,” Boynes said.

Incumbent general secretary of the party Foster Cummings said he hopes to improve on his work of establishing the central office and the increase in membership from 80,000 to 100,000.

“We have been working to modernise the party and improve its operations. Members can now apply online. We have a new website and we have been improving the efficiency of the party.”

Unlike Nunez-Tesheira, Cummings said there is no slate per se but there are nominees who are “co-operating with each other.” He did not say whom he was co-operating with.

The PNM adopted a one-man, one-vote policy in 2010 after then chair of the Couva South executive and incumbent labour minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus brought the resolution to the PNM convention. Before that, executive members were voted in by slates supported by party groups. Baptiste-Primus and Christian Flemming are competing for the labour relations officer position.

Current public relations officer Laurel Lezema-Lee Sing will not return to the post of PRO after she decided to vie for education officer. She is going up against her friend Clayton Blackman.

She said this move, if she is elected, will be to grow the party and she will re-introduce party schools, as mandated by its leadership. Lezema-Lee Sing said she has been a member of the party since 12 and her hope is to "inculcate and induct more young people into the ways of the PNM.”

Minister of Local Government and former PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi was nominated for the post of PRO unopposed. The other unopposed positions are lady-vice chairman and general secretary, which will be filled by Camille Robinson-Regis and Cummings respectively.

Chairman of the party is being contested by Stuart Young, Kenneth Butcher, who is part of Nunez-Tesheira’s team, and Farai Hove Masaisai. Vice-chairman is also a three-horse race, with Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Rondell Donawa and Brian Manning fighting for the position.

Patricia Alexis, Daniel Dookie and Janelle John-Bates are all vying for the assistant general secretary position, while Anthony Davis, Kazim Hosein and Sallian Holdip are competing for treasurer.

Kwasi Robinson, Dominic Romain, Dane Wilson and Krystal Horwood are contesting the social media officer post, and Indar Parasram, Leslie Lynch, Victor Phillip and Keino Romeo throwing their hat in the ring for elections officer.

The largest race will be between David Trim, Curtis Shade, Terrance Beepath, Abdon Mason and Jose Tidd for field officer. Welfare officer is between Maxine Richards and Alica Hospedales, with Jeniece Scott and Ndale Young jostling for youth officer. Irene Hinds and Eber Steele-Attong both want to be the party’s operations officer.