Rowley had his revenge in 2010.
He demanded that he run as a PNM candidate in the general election but his sole motive was to win his seat and then return the favour by kicking Manning out of the leadership of the party Eric Williams and a few nationalists formed way back in 1956.
Rowley campaigned against Manning, describing his leader as presiding over the most corrupt government in the history of Trinidad and Tobago and promising a "court martial" when the loss of the 2010 general election would send the PNM ship into dry dock.
And within days of the humiliating defeat of the PNM Rowley and his loyalists literally chased Manning out of Balisier House after which they engineered Rowley's coronation as the new leader of the PNM.
Now Manning is praising Rowley and describing him as possibly "the most successful political leader the PNM has ever had."
Listen to what else Manning is now saying about the man who was his arch rival ever since they faced off over the leadership of the party many years ago.
“Never before has a political leader been called upon to lead our political party with his predecessor remaining a Member of Parliament and that, my dear friends, has brought with it its own challenges and, in fact, has put our current political leader in a very difficult situation...
“I believe therefore the way I can best help our political leader conduct his affairs is by being as politically invisible as possible. It is not that I don’t support the political leader, far from that, he has my total support.”
You don't need a political analyst to tell you that Manning is a hypocrite. Didn't he walk his famous democracy walk with Rowley looking the other way? How invisible was that?
And within days of the humiliating defeat of the PNM Rowley and his loyalists literally chased Manning out of Balisier House after which they engineered Rowley's coronation as the new leader of the PNM.
Now Manning is praising Rowley and describing him as possibly "the most successful political leader the PNM has ever had."
Listen to what else Manning is now saying about the man who was his arch rival ever since they faced off over the leadership of the party many years ago.
“Never before has a political leader been called upon to lead our political party with his predecessor remaining a Member of Parliament and that, my dear friends, has brought with it its own challenges and, in fact, has put our current political leader in a very difficult situation...
“I believe therefore the way I can best help our political leader conduct his affairs is by being as politically invisible as possible. It is not that I don’t support the political leader, far from that, he has my total support.”
You don't need a political analyst to tell you that Manning is a hypocrite. Didn't he walk his famous democracy walk with Rowley looking the other way? How invisible was that?
And what about what happened before that in the Parliament?
There is no love in Manning's heart for Rowley. Manning knows it, Rowley knows it and the loyalists on both sides know it.
The PNM today is a divided party with some of its Public Relations advisers working hard at papering over the cracks in the hope of presenting an illusion of unity.
If Manning is serious about supporting his leader and helping rebuild the party he almost destroyed through his failed leadership, the best he can do is to truly get out of the way. His basket won't hold water.
Manning had his chance - twice. And he blew it. He failed miserably. Yet he still sees himself as the leader ... and many others do as well. That makes the PNM ship a leaky, unstable craft.
And truth be told, a wajang and a raging bull cannot become a great leader overnight. Who is Manning trying to fool?
The PNM today is a divided party with some of its Public Relations advisers working hard at papering over the cracks in the hope of presenting an illusion of unity.
If Manning is serious about supporting his leader and helping rebuild the party he almost destroyed through his failed leadership, the best he can do is to truly get out of the way. His basket won't hold water.
Manning had his chance - twice. And he blew it. He failed miserably. Yet he still sees himself as the leader ... and many others do as well. That makes the PNM ship a leaky, unstable craft.
And truth be told, a wajang and a raging bull cannot become a great leader overnight. Who is Manning trying to fool?
Jai Parasram | Toronto 7 July 2011
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