Manning quits under pressure from PNM

Patrick Manning was forced to quit as leader of the People's National Movement at a rowdy session of the party's General Council Thursday.

The meeting to discuss Manning's future turned out to be a standoff between competing factions with one group demanding that former cabinet minister Keith Rowley replace Manning and another lobbying for former Government House leader Colm Imbert.

The ex-Prime Minister wanted to keep his job until the party figured out who would replace him, but those supporting Rowley would have none of that.

They claimed that Manning caused the PNM to lose Monday's general election and no longer had any moral authority to lead the party.

Manning suffered a humiliating defeat in Monday's vote losing 14 of the 26 seats he held with fewer votes in most of the 12 seats that the PNM retained. The only real strength of the party remained in Laventille, one of the most depressed areas in the country.

Manning told supporters Monday night he took full responsibility for the loss and said he would consider quitting.

On Thursday he didn't get that option. The party showed him the door and reports say the proceedings got so heated Manning had to make a hasty exit through a side door.

The party decided that Rowley would be take over the responsibility of Opposition Leader when the 10th Parliament convenes. Manning will sit as an ordinary member, representing San Fernando East.

Rowley made the announcement to the crowd as he left the meeting:

"Today the General Council has taken the decision to advise the parliamentarians that I should occupy the position of Opposition Leader to discharge on behalf of this party the responsibilities under the Constitution. I have accepted that arrangement and I would proceed to do that to the best of my ability."

The General Council has set June 27 as a date to elect a new political, which means that the party will operate without a leader until then. But Rowley would take the lead in all decision relating to Parliamentary matters, including the appointing of six opposition Senators.

PNM chairman Conrad Enill told reporters he believes all PNM MPs, including Manning, would support Rowley for the post of Opposition Leader.