Rowley buys ‘court house clothes’ for leadership legal challenge

THE Prime Minister appeared unfazed on Monday evening by legal action filed by his opponents in the fight for leadership of the party.

At the PNM’s Leaders in Service women’s meeting at the University of the Southern Caribbean, Maracas Valley, Dr Rowley said there is no question any court could ask that the PNM was unable to answer.

On Monday former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, who is contesting the leadership of the party, filed for an injunction for “breach of contract.” She is seeking to have the court postpone the internal elections for 21 days, and hopes that the court will pronounce that several decisions taken were unconstitutional.

The claim is supported by Dr Kenneth Butcher and Bishop Victor Phillip. Phillip and Ronald Boynes are also challenging Rowley for leadership of the party.

The legal challengers claim the election is a breach of the party’s constitution with a three-day voting schedule beginning on November 26. Voters will be allowed to vote on November 27 and December 4, the date of the general assembly.

“The decision to change the election from the time-honoured 'election day' to span a nine-day period is a fraught exercise, more so since no justifiable reasons have been proffered to the membership for such a change which is without precedent anywhere in the Commonwealth or in jurisdictions throughout the world that observe and adhere to democratic conventions and practices and to the observance of the rule of law,” the lawsuit claims.

Addressing those gathered, Rowley said: “Today I went to buy court house clothes. I bought one shirt. This is my court house clothes” he said adjusting the short-sleeved black and red shirt he wore.

“I have every confidence that there is no question the court could ask the PNM that it can’t answer. None! Because we have not been office crazy. We have been country crazy and people loving.”

Rowley said when looking for leadership it is always good to consider the person with many opponents. He said while the party is grateful for the advice given to it by others, to the offer he said “Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t want yuh.”

Rowley also commended the women in the party, those contesting various positions in the upcoming election, and others for their role in building the party’s electoral construct, both internally and externally. He said the PNM has been a champion of women’s rights since its inception in 1956.