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| Manning's sons - Brian (in red short) and David during their father's march to San Fernando |
Only two People's National Movement (PNM) MPs joined him and Manning himself stated that he made fruitless attempts to reach his leader Keith Rowley.
While the party was only prepared to say that the matter was not discussed at the national level and that it was a San Fernando constituency affair, one top PNMite was very vocal in denouncing Manning.
Louis Lee Sing, one of Manning's closest former advisers dismissed the walk as "foolishness" and said Manning had "lost it". The Mayor of Port of Spain blamed Manning for the problems in the country about which he is now complaining and said they who follow him would be "led into a sanatorium".
Lee Sing had a suggestion for his former leader - go home, open a church and become the preacher he said he would be after his life in politics.
All that has angered Manning's son, Brian, who is now calling on the PNM general council to fire Lee Sing, whose daughter-in-law, former PNM Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, walked with Manning.
In a statement Tuesday, the younger Manning said: “It still boggles the mind that a mayor appointed by the People’s National Movement could launch such an insensitive and disrespectful attack on members of the very party that appointed him.”
He added, “Members of the PNM have decided of their own free will to take a stand for democracy and justice and certainly did not deserve the humiliating remarks leveled at them by Mr Lee Sing.
“Louis Lee Sing’s insensitive remarks were reminiscent of his heartless approach in dealing with Port-of-Spain vendors, vagrants, motorists, and hard-working business owners in the Woodbrook and St James communities.”
The statement continued: “The only reason Mayor Lee Sing is allowed the privilege of representing the people of Port-of-Spain as their mayor is due to the votes of the very PNM members he has decided to denigrate in such a public manner.
“He should be reminded that no one in the People’s National Movement’s membership has ever voted for him and he serves at the pleasure of the membership of the party,” he said.
All that has angered Manning's son, Brian, who is now calling on the PNM general council to fire Lee Sing, whose daughter-in-law, former PNM Senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing, walked with Manning.
In a statement Tuesday, the younger Manning said: “It still boggles the mind that a mayor appointed by the People’s National Movement could launch such an insensitive and disrespectful attack on members of the very party that appointed him.”
He added, “Members of the PNM have decided of their own free will to take a stand for democracy and justice and certainly did not deserve the humiliating remarks leveled at them by Mr Lee Sing.
“Louis Lee Sing’s insensitive remarks were reminiscent of his heartless approach in dealing with Port-of-Spain vendors, vagrants, motorists, and hard-working business owners in the Woodbrook and St James communities.”
The statement continued: “The only reason Mayor Lee Sing is allowed the privilege of representing the people of Port-of-Spain as their mayor is due to the votes of the very PNM members he has decided to denigrate in such a public manner.
“He should be reminded that no one in the People’s National Movement’s membership has ever voted for him and he serves at the pleasure of the membership of the party,” he said.
Editor's note: No one ever voted for Hazel Manning, David's mother and Patrick Manning's spouse. She served as a PNM Senator and a senior cabinet minister in three Manning administrations from 2001 to 2010.
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