Young: Rowley not holding my hand

PRIME Minister Stuart Young says his predecessor Dr Keith Rowley is not advising him in any form or fashion. He made this comment at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on March 20.

Rowley announced his decision to retire from electoral politics on January 6. He resigned as prime minister on March 16. Young was sworn in as prime minister on March 17.

On March 18, Young advised President Christine Kangaloo to dissolve the Parliament and announced the election will take place on April 28.

Rowley is still PNM political leader. In a Facebook post on March 16, Rowley said while his term as PNM leader legally runs until 2026, he plans "to vacate this position at the earliest in consultation with the leadership of the movement."

At his first post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Young was asked how he has settled into his new position as prime minister and if Rowley is offering him any advice to help him.

"I have settled in very fine. Hit the ground running."

On whether Rowley is advising him in any way, Young said, "Dr Rowley is not holding my hand."

He added he has worked very closely with Rowley over the last nine-and-a-half years.

"He is someone I have tremendous respect for. But Dr Rowley has made it clear, not only to me but to the population. I wanted him to retire, eh? 'I (Rowley) am going home to enjoy my retirement.'"

Young was asked to explain why he decided to call an election one day after he was sworn in as prime minister.

He said, "I addressed that at the start. A prime minister has to take a decision. The decision was taken. See you all at the polls on April 28.

Asked if he had any advice to the government's political opponents, Young replied, "Lead by example."

Rowley was unavailable for comment.

In separate interviews on March 19, UWI political scientists Dr Bishnu Ragoonath and Dr Indira Rampersad shared differing views on whether the PNM chances of winning the general election could be affected with Young at the helm of the government while Rowley remains PNM political leader.

Ragoonath saw no problem for the PNM contesting the election.

"At this point in time, the PNM has clearly indicated Stuart Young is their leader. That is leading them into the election."

Ragoonath said Rowley is absent from the PNM's list of candidates and political advertisements ahead of the election.

"I can't be sure but I would like to think that what Keith Rowley will probably do or not do, is simply he will absent himself from a lot of the campaign, so it will not be confusing to supporters."

Ragoonath repeated that even if Rowley remains as PNM leader going into the election it should not affect the party.

"The PNM will push the message that Stuart Young is the man who they (people) have to deal with. They don't have to deal with Keith Rowley.

He said once that message is pushed hard there will be no problem.

Ragoonath also saw no issue with Rowley being PNM leader, in relation to constitutional questions as to who the prime minister should be.

He said, "Once the party goes into the election, the party will inform the EBC that Stuart Young is the man at the helm."

He said any legal issues before Young was sworn in as prime minister will not arise.

"Who determines the leader? The Parliament is not going to go to Balisier House and ask them for their leader. Balisier House is going to write to the Parliament and say this is our leader and that will be the end of the story."

Rampersad said the PNM should be concerned about people thinking it has two leaders, Young and Rowley, going into the election.

"As it stands, he (Rowley) is the incumbent political leader but the question is who is going to lead the party into the election."

Rampersad said Rowley's address at the PNM's presentation of candidates at Woodford Square, Port of Spain on March 16 appeared to be his "last hurrah."

She asked if Rowley was going to come back and lead the party into the election.

"What would that say for Stuart Young? Would he (Rowley) be upstaging the Prime Minister in leading the campaign on the hustings if that is the intention."

Rampersad wondered if this was a case of Rowley "driving from the backseat."

She claimed the PNM is appearing to be a confused entity. "One day you reshuffle a cabinet. You appoint a brand new cabinet. You have all the new ministers being sworn in and the next thing call a general election."

Government ministers were appointed on March 17, the same day Young was sworn in as prime minister.

Rampersad saw Camille Robinson-Regis replacing Reginald Armour as attorney general as the most significant of the ministerial appointments.

She questioned the appointment of former UK High Commissioner Vishnu Dhanpaul as finance minister. She said he could only become a minister after he was appointed as a senator, in keeping with section 76 (5) of the Constitution.

Dhanpaul, she said, was not appointed a government senator before Parliament was dissolved.

On March 18, Newsday reported that Dhanpaul was appointed a government senator on March 17 under Section 40 (2) (a) of the Constitution.

Parliament was dissolved at midnight on that day when Young announced the election date.

Dhanpaul's senatorial appointment was confirmed in the TT Gazette on March 20. It said President Christine Kangaloo, acting on Young's advice in accordance with Section 3 (9) of the Constitution revoked Armour's senatorial appointment on March 17. Armour resigned as AG in order to act for three months as an Appeal Court judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

The Gazette said Kangaloo, again in accordance with Section 3 (9), appointed Dhanpaul as a government senator with effect from March 17.