However Patrick Manning ensured that he kept Rowley in check, although in his "remake" of the PNM he handed Rowley one of the three positions of Deputy Political leader.
Rowley openly challenged Manning more than once but remained in the inner circle until he touched Manning's achilles heel - Calder Hart and UDeCOTT - demanding accountability.
That "wajang" behaviour got him fired and sent to the back bench from where he plotted his revenge while Manning continued to attack him both outside and inside the Parliament.
When Manning, facing the political Kamlamania tidal wave, called an election more than two years ahead of time, Rowley saw his opportunity.
He fought to get nominated as a candidate but silently plotted to try to make the PNM lose, even talking about a "court martial" for the captain of the his ship when the election was over.
The tide had changed and the People's partnership swept the PNM out of office with only 12 PNM members surviving, including Rowley and Manning.
Rowley went for the jugular, demanding Manning's immediate resignation and literally chasing Manning out of the party's headquarters. He subsequently squeezed out all opposition and "won" the leadership unchallenged.
However he was always uncomfortable with the crown that he placed on his head, knowing that his party was clearly divided.
For a while Manning watched silently, then he made his play, offering the nation an apology for his mistakes.
"I am not perfect. No human being is perfect, ladies and gentlemen," Manning told reporters at a news conference. "I was not perfect in the governance and I am sure that along the way it is not possible for any leader to conduct the affairs of any country and for such a long time without by the decisions he makes, initiates, or for which he holds responsibility, to not adversely affect some people."
Manning's move was clearly at attempt to undermine Rowley's leadership. It was also a clear indication that certain power brokers within the party were testing the waters to see if Manning had retained any political currency.
Manning's move was clearly at attempt to undermine Rowley's leadership. It was also a clear indication that certain power brokers within the party were testing the waters to see if Manning had retained any political currency.
Rowley had been making mistake after mistake and was clearly not the man to take the party back to government. And Manning had lost his political lustre forever. Still there were those who wanted Manning back.
Now with Manning out of the way because of a serious stroke Rowley is flexing his political muscle with a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
This is a serious matter and Rowley knows that by sheer numbers alone he will lose. Still he is climbing a political greasy pole hoping to secure his leadership by appearing to be on the attack against a government that the PNM claims has failed. He might even be hoping for a miracle like the one that propelled the People's Partnership into office.
It is a dangerous gamble.
What can Rowley say to inflict damage when there is clear evidence that the People's partnership government has done more for development in 20 months than Manning, Rowley and the PNM did in the eight years since the 2001 presidential coup that handed Manning the leadership of government?
Rowley has lost credibility even in the eyes of many members of his own party. And his only hope of redeeming himself from this is to reveal something that is so powerful that it takes precedence over everything else.
He cannot hope to raise the same issues that he has presented over and over again and hope to influence public opinion. So the real danger for Rowley and the PNM is the boomerang effect, where this will fly right back at them with the PP government blowing its trumpet about all that it has achieved in 20 months.
He is sitting on a wall and like Humpty Dumpty he could lose it all. In effect if he fails to inflict heavy political damage on the Prime Minister as he hopes then he has a moral responsibility to accept his failure and resign.
That might give the PNM a real opportunity to rebuild itself as a strong national party that can offer the PP a real challenge when the next election comes in 2015.
Jai Parasram - 27 February 2012
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