Jeremie endorsement signals need for PNM to reboot

THE EDITOR: Former AG John Jeremie’s public endorsement of the United National Congress (UNC) has reignited national conversation about the PNM and the direction it is heading.

Once a senior figure in the PNM, Jeremie’s presence on a UNC platform was more than symbolic – it reflected growing discontent within the ranks of that party which has been in administration for the past decade and most of our country’s history.

Jeremie, who served twice as AG and was also appointed High Commissioner to London, is not one to make casual political moves. His actions suggest something has gone deeply wrong in the party he once loyally served.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne expressed surprise at Jeremie’s switch but acknowledged his right to make such a choice.

Former PNM minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, herself now at odds with the party, went further, suggesting the PNM’s leadership is out of touch and that time in opposition may be necessary to allow it to regroup and recalibrate.

These concerns are not isolated.

A friend and long-time resident of Diego Martin, now 78, expressed a sentiment shared by many loyal PNM supporters: “The thinking is that a change is possible in 2025 because of the current poor leadership of a good political party. The party needs to reboot, reset and redesign its goals and objectives – and it will not do that if it remains in power.”

Diego Martin has been a traditional PNM stronghold only shaken in 1986 and significantly challenged in 2010 when Rocky Neil Garcia got 7,996 votes versus the 9,042 which retired prime minister Keith Rowley received.

Disappointment is growing across the country.

I recall former prime minister Manning’s warning about the current PNM political leader when he said: "Dr Rowley is a very aggressive individual. When he gets angry, he becomes dangerous." Having been led for the past 15 years by a disrespectful autocrat, the party must move away.

Many of us who helped elect him in 2010 now understand how right Manning was.

The current crisis created by the PNM leadership could hand the UNC a victory – but that’s not the solution either. I hope minor parties win a few seats and the Tobago party holds its two. Then real politics – negotiation, coalition and accountability – will have to take place as happens in many European countries.

Perhaps the final comment of my Diego Martin friend is the most sobering. He said, “I am ready for the oven, so I could not care less. Hope you are young enough to fight for justice for all. Unfortunately, our people are not sufficiently evolved – they need 100 years more.”

Yet there is hope. Honest voices, from inside and outside the party, are calling for a better future. If the PNM is to remain relevant, it must listen, reflect, and evolve. Or risk becoming a memory of what once was. 2025 is an opportunity to step away.

DENNISE DEMMING

Port of Spain