PNM General Council to deal with "incident" at Balisier House; Cox could be suspended

MP Donna Cox

Media reports in Port of Spain say PNM MP Donna Cox is facing possible suspension from her party over an alleged incident involving a local government councillor.

Media reports stated that Cox slapped PNM councillor Kwesi Antoine at the PNM's Balisier House headquarters following screening for the upcoming local government election.

Cox has denied that and PNM officials and pro-PNM commentators have tried to avoid the story, some of them denying that anything happened. However media quoted persons who were there as saying that the incident did take place.

For his part the leader of the PNM, Keith Rowley, only acknowledged that "an incident" took place and that the party would investigate. He also admitted that the PNM is at its "worst during screening time."

On Monday at a political meeting in Barataria, PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar made a passing reference to the alleged incident, saying the People's Partnership settles its differences through dialogue and it doesn't screen "vagabonds".

Now Antoine has lodged a formal complaint with the party about the incident and media reports say the party’s General Council would meet later this month to deal with the matter. It could rule that Cox be suspended pending investigation of the complaint.