PNM sets July convention date; will Rowley challenge Manning?

The governing People’s National Movement’s (PNM) has rescheduled at its national convention at Chaguaramas Convention Centre from June 28 and 29 to July 12 and 13. The big news is whether Keith Rowley would challenge Patrick Manning for the leadership of the party.

PNM Vice chairman of the PNM John Donaldson said the change is because the earlier date would have clashed with St. Peter's Day on June 29, creating "a recipe for confusion, since there was only one way in and out of Chaguaramas."

There is speculation that the delay might also have been to give the party more time to organize its delegations, since the PNM leader is chosen through a delegate system unlike the one-member-one-vote system in the United National Congress (UNC).

Donaldson said there would be elections for all seats in the PNM, including the leadership post, which Prime Minister Patrick Manning hold. Nominations for all executives will close on June 30. So the question everyone wanted Donaldson to answer was whether anyone - or more specially former cabinet Minister Keith Rowley - would challenge Manning for the leadership.

“I don’t know. I am sure you can make an educated guess. You think anybody fighting Mr Manning?” was his response.

Rowley was fired from Cabinet, ostensibly for behaviour that the prime minister said was unbecoming of a senior minister. It followed a Cabinet sub-committee meeting at which Rowley questioned plans by UDeCOTT - the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago - to build a 60-room hotel in Port of Spain without proper Cabinet oversight.

Rowley insisted that Patrick Manning fired him for asking questions about UDeCOTT and its executive chairman, Calder Hart.

The incident opened a national debate over the role of Hart and UDeCOTT, which eventually led to the announcement of a Commission of Enquiry into the building industry, which would include the operations of UDeCOTT.

Last week the opposition demanded to know when the commission would start its work; the government responded that it would happen in good time.

Rowley has been speaking out against the government since he was kicked out of government.

Some PNMites, particularly former Cabinet minister Kenneth Valley, have been encouraging Rowley to challenge Manning for the leadership. Valley has been bitter since Manning kicked him out of his constituency in favour of a newcomer, Dr Amery Browne.

Valley has stated on several occasions that Manning is a threat to democracy both in the PNM and the country. In the last general election he appealed to the electorate to vote "wisely" to ensure that the PNM was denied a constitutional majority.

Rowley once challenged Manning for the party's leadership in lost in what many insiders still say was because Manning moved to consolidate his support ahead of the convention, by making sure he had stronger than average delegate support.

Sources say Rowley would be committing political suicide by challenging Manning. No PNM member has ever challenged a sitting prime minister for the leadership.

Party sources say while Rowley might enjoy some popular support there is no way he can mount a successful challenge against Manning.

Read Jai Parasram's political column: Who gets the last laugh?