The People’s National Movement Member of Parliament for Diego Martin North/East made the statement to the Newsday newspaper.
“I personally think when somebody is in their late 60s they should really step aside and allow a younger person to come forward. I think that’s really stretching it," he said.
Imbert added, "I would be gone long before 65. I’m 54 now, but long before 65, I’m gone,” Imbert added.
The paper quizzed Imbert about Manning's series of media conferences and reports that some PNM members see the sessions as an attempt to undermine the authority of current PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley.
“What I heard him say was that when he reached his 40th year, which would have been May 2011, that he would demit office and allow a by-election to be held to elect a new Member of Parliament for San Fernando East.
“What I hear now is that he said when he raised that matter with his constituents they said no, they wanted him to stay for the full five years, so he has changed his mind to quitting in his 40th year,” Imbert said.
He offered his thoughts on the strategy Manning is using. “One interpretation could be that he is trying to upstage Dr Rowley. Another interpretation could be that he’s an experienced MP and feels he needs to speak out.
However, Imbert said his view is that the media conferences amount to unusual behaviour for Manning, who has an opportunity to speak as an MP in Parliament but chooses to remain silent.
Imbert said the danger when people get into politics is that “it becomes their entire life, so whatever profession they might have had they lost touch with that profession and they only feel safe in the environment of politics”.
He told the paper he is planning to leave politics before age 65. He also suggested that all members of Parliament over 65 should get out.
"Mr Dookeran is over 65, Mr McLeod is over 65, Mr Warner is over 65 and as far as I am concerned, what are they doing in politics at that age?”
Imbert seemed to contradict himself when he suggested that former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday might have relevance despite his age. Panday is 78.
"I listen to him, his brain is still working, he looks good, so politicians may very well be able to go into their mid-70s...in certain circumstances, why can’t a prime minister go to 75?” he asked.
"I wouldn’t write off Panday just like that, not at all. It depends on what people feel, if they feel that what they’re getting now is better than what it was before, or if they feel that they have an opportunity to get something better. All of this is just speculative, I’m just talking from experience,” Imbert added.
Commenting further about Panday, Imbert said he believes the former leader of the United National Congress (UNC) is still in shock over losing the leadership to Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
“I don’t think he has gotten over that yet, and he probably believes there is sufficient support for him within the party for him to either influence the outcome of their internal election to get a position himself,” Imbert said.
Panday announced last week that he plans to "take back" the UNC in internal elections that are being held on March 24, 2012. He said he will support a full slate of candidates for the 17 positions on the national executive. However he said he does not want any office and will only act in an advisory role to a team he calls Generation Next.
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