The PNM Political Leader made the announcement Monday night at a political meeting in San Grande, saying his preference for a one member, one vote system.
The two other national major parties - the United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) - already use that system in preference to the delegate system which the PNM still uses.
Rowley noted, however, that the change will not happen before the March 20 internal election. This means that the PNM will elect its national executive through a system that allows selected delegates to vote on behalf of constituents.
"I support the one man, one vote principle. I truly believe the party will be strengthened if each party member is allowed to cast his or her own vote, rather than rely on somebody to vote for you," he said.
"The delegate system has served its purpose but the system provides limited democracy and democracy by proxy, and we can do better than that," Rowley said.
Rowley told supporters the delegate system is easier to be manipulated that the alternative he favours. "Today if we drop 800 delegates in a convention, it is possible for an energetic person who may not be the best candidate to manipulate at least 400 persons and get onto the national executive. We have gone past that stage," Rowley said.
He said the PNM is in the process of creating an electronic database of all members. "Now that technology allows us to do that, we will be really backward to be saying that what Williams was limited in in 1956 is what we must stick to when we have the ability to communicate with every party member," he said.
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