Rowley cautions PNM about mudslinging, infighting for internal election

Keith Rowley greets Franklin Khan who is running for the post of PNM chairman

Keith Rowley warned members of his People's National Movement Sunday about making confusion and denigrating one another during the PNM's current internal election campaign.

“We don’t have to do that, we can be civil and reasonable—but we must always be respected,” he told PNM nominees and delegates at a party function in City Hall in Port of Spain Sunday.

The party is holding its election on March 20. The Political Leader was responding to reports of infighting, mud-slinging and fierce Internet lobbying for certain top posts.

Rowley acknowledged that there were concerns that the event Sunday might have been used to cut down some nominees. However, he said under his leadership the PNM would never happen.

He recalled that in 1996 when he contested the post of political leader, his team had threaten legal action before it was able to get the delegate list. That would never happen under his watch, he pledged.

The PNM leader told party members if a party cannot guarantee democracy within itself, it could not do so for a country.