Hinds: People becoming more enlightened on public matters

News

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says the majority of the population understands there is no controversy connected to the Prime Minister's decision to resign his post and as PNM political leader.

He attributed this to people becoming better educated on public affairs and less likely to fall for the attempts of others to mislead them.

Hinds made those comments during a radio interview on i95.5FM on January 12, one day after the PNM General Council met at its Balisier House headquarters in Port of Spain to discuss Dr Rowley's intention to resign as prime minister and party leader.

He said he was used to commentary in the media on important issues being uninformed and being used to create fluff and bacchanal.

But in the last week, Hinds continued, he was impressed with the level of maturity in the public discourse about what was involved in prime ministerial and political leadership succession.

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He said many people were actively referring to the Constitution when it came to the powers of the President and the manner in which a prime minister was chosen.

Hinds attributed this in part to people becoming more educated and an increasing number of avenues whereby information can be found and objectively assessed.

He said the developments had "helped to enlighten the people of TT."

Hinds added that it augured well for the population being able to properly understand the facts of matters before them and not fall victim to the agendas of uninformed or mischievous people.

"We are not dealing with the same quality of operation now as existed or subsisted in 1995."

On January 11, after the PNM's General Council meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain, party general secretary Foster Cummings said all PNM MPs had committed their support to Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young as the next prime minister.

The General Council discussed Rowley's intention to retire from electoral politics before the end of the legal life of the government, Young to succeed him as prime minister and the party to hold a convention in September to elect a new political leader, when it held its regular monthly meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain on January 11.

On January 9, the PNM's central executive met to discuss matters related to Rowley's intention to resign as prime minister and political leader.

On January 3, Rowley announced his intention to retire from electoral politics and promised a smooth transition after he resigned as prime minister and PNM political leader.

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At a news conference on January 6, Rowley said the PNM's parliamentary caucus of elected MPs had selected Young to succeed him as prime minister.

Government ministers who are senators were ineligible to vote.

At the time, the vote was split 11 in favour of Young and nine for Arima MP Pennelope Beckles-Robinson.

While not giving any definitive date for his resignation, Rowley says he should be done and finished with his last remaining official duties, including attending a Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Barbados, well before Carnival.

Selection of a PM

THE selection of a prime minister is determined by Section 76 of the Constitution.

Section 76 (1) (a) states the President will appoint a prime minister from a "a member of the House of Representatives who is the Leader in that House of the party which commands the support of the majority of members of that of that House."

Should this not be the case, Section 76 (1) (b) states where the President finds the political party that holds the majority in the House does not have an undisputed leader or that no party commands the support of such a majority, the President appoints the member of the House who in his or her judgement "is most likely to command the support of the majority of members of that House."

Both of these constitutional clauses are based on the member who either commands or is believed to command the support of the majority of MPs being willing to become prime minister.

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Neither of these situations apply in this case with all 21 government MPs supporting to Young.

The government has 21 MPs in the House now, after the death of D'Abadie/O'Meara MP Lisa Morris-Julian last December.

Whenever Rowley resigns as prime minister, a letter will be sent to President Christine Kangaloo indicating that Young commands the majority support among government MPs and should be appointed prime minister.

Once that happens, Young will be sworn into office.

Role of the PNM political leader

ARTICLE 19 of the PNM's constitution states the political leader "shall be responsible to the party for the execution of its political affairs."

When the political leader executes this responsibility he shall act in consultation with the PNM's chairman, vice-chairman, lady vice-chairman, the deputy political leaders and the general secretary.

This group comprises the political leadership of the party.

The PNM's annual convention is the forum where elections are held for all of the party's executive posts, including political leader.

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This is done by secret ballot, using a one man-one vote system.

The general council usually holds the convention in September but Article 17 gives give the council the discretion, for good reason, to summon the convention at at an earlier time.

Article 18 states the political leader is one of five executive posts that has a tenure of four years until a successor is elected.

The other four are chairman, vice-chairman, general secretary and Tobago council political leader.

Should any of these office holders resign or be removed in a convention before the end of their four-year term, some one will have to be elected to replace them.

Rowley has said the PNM will hold its annual convention on September 28 and he will not be party leader when his term legally expires in 2026.

He has been political leader since 2010 and was re-elected in the PNM's last internal elections in 2022.

Young will have to resign as PNM chairman to contest the political leader's post.

Should he remain chairman and no other members offer themselves as political leader, it is possible one of the PNM's three deputy leaders could serve as interim political leader.

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PNM MPs Colm Imbert, Rohan Sinanan and Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly are the party's current deputy leaders.

MPs Pennelope Beckles-Robinson and Foster Cummings were believed to be potential leadership contenders,

Both are among the MPs supporting Young to succeed Rowley as prime minister.