That's not the way, Rowley

THE EDITOR: I take issue with, at the risk of being further ostracised by the political leader and my fellow PNM members, the outgoing Prime Minister/party leader's inappropriate, untimely and highly questionable utterance on February 1, re the party’s constitution on the selection of candidates for the general election.

He is the chairman of the screening committee and appears to be the executor of the party’s will with the right to dispose patronage inconsistent with its constitution.

Our party has a long history of participatory democracy, of which Dr Rowley himself has been a beneficiary. As political leader, like his predecessors, he carries much more influence than the average party member. Such influence ought not to be abused or used to deprive us of our rights to fully participate in the general affairs of the party, with special emphasis on the selection of the candidate/candidates of our choice.

He violates the party’s constitution as it has not given him the right or exclusive responsibility to select candidates and publicly declare his choice of successorship.

Had any other member of the screening committee engaged in such irresponsible behaviour, the political leader and party leadership would certainly apply the appropriate disciplinary action. His public declaration of the candidate of his choice to succeed him in Diego Martin West at his departure celebration is unprecedented in the PNM’s history and should be condemned by members of our 69-year-old party.

Rowley is neither the custodian nor executor of our party’s will. We are a living and thriving party that survived the departure of Dr Eric Williams, George Chambers, Patrick Manning, and will certainly survive after he departs.

It would have been much more responsible and appropriate if Rowley had given the date and time of his departure and eased the tension, instead of informing us of the contents of his political will.

FERDIE FERREIRA

Diego Martin