Small crowd rallies with Rowley to close PNM LGE campaign

The PNM held its final election rally Saturday at Woodford Square, managing to attract only a small crowd in comparison to the tens of thousands who gathered for the People's Partnership rally in Skinner Park, San Fernando.

Media reports say only a quarter of Woodford Square was filled with PNM supporters. The square can comfortably hold up to 10,000. The reports said several tents had been put up in anticipation of a larger crowd but many remained empty.

The People's National Movement's (PNM) campaign manager tried to put a happy face on the disappointing showing. "Do you expect to get the same crowd for a local government election as a general election?" John Rahael asked when reporters questioned him about the crowd.

The PNM supporters rallied around their new political leader, Dr Keith Rowley, as he faces his first election as political leader.

Christine Kangaloo, who lost her seat in Pointe a Pierre to the Partnership's Errol McLeod in the May 24 general election, chaired the rally and was also putting a positive spin on the event.

"The PNM is alive and well. We are troubled but not distressed and we cannot be destroyed," Kangaloo said.

Party vice chairman, John Donaldson, told supporters, "The fact that the PNM found 134 credible, intelligent people-oriented candidates in ten days, is a sign that we have already triumphed."

However, some of the candidates failed to show up for the event.

Deputy political leader, Nafeesa Mohammed, who presented some of the candidates appealed to voters to forgive the party for all wrongs and give the PNM a second chance.

There some notable absentees included former PNM leader Patrick Manning, Diego Martin North/East MP, Colm Imbert and Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne.

Both Imbert and Browne are out of the country. Imbert is reported to be in Italy on private business and Browne is attending an AIDS conference in Austria. They did not take part in the campaign.

In his first speech in Woodford Square as PNM leader Rowley criticised the government's plan to use the country's security guards to assist in fighting crime. He said that is designed to give millions to people in government who has investment in security companies.

He also criticised Attornery General Anand Ramlogan for raising the various issues of alleged corruption stating that the AG does not understand the protocol of his office. Rowley accused Ramlogan of calling a news conference about every little item that passes by his desk.