(Trinidad Guardian) Hours after the People’s National Movement (PNM) announced it would begin accepting nominations for the 2025 General Elections, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the party is ready to contest any polls and is confident they will beat their rivals.
Speaking at the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) Sports and Family Day at Skinner Park, San Fernando, yesterday, Rowley told supporters he was pleased with the turnout and buoyed and strengthened by the support.
“I ask you to stand by and wait for the call because, in the middle of the night, the dawn may not be too far away. Ladies and gentlemen, whenever they are ready, THA election, by-election, general election, we will beat them,” Rowley said.
Earlier on, he brought on stage Lengua/Indian Walk councillor-elect Autley Granthume, who won last Monday’s local government by-election against the United National Congress’ Nicole Gopaul. He also acknowledged Anderson Nanan, who almost tripled the PNM’s vote in the Quinam/Morne Diablo by-elections from the August 2023 Local Government Election in an electoral district the party has never won.
Rowley said winning was not only about the seat but becoming a PNM standard-bearer so that everyone, regardless of race, colour, creed, class or location, has a quality candidate to elect. He said the PNM was great in or out of office, as it does not end its mission on election day. He said an election day is only the start of the work programme, while for others, it is mission accomplished.
“And after that, it is five years of bacchanal, thieving, wrong certificate, drinking, drunk, and the hell with Trinidad & Tobago until the next election.”
Rowley also jabbed at the UNC’s internal squabbling, saying even in Opposition the PNM maintained its constitution and structure. Now in Government, he said all party groups are engaged in electing party officers.
He said the PNM would call members to its convention to elect executive members, and he guaranteed it will not cause any upheaval because the PNM is Dr Eric Williams’ party.
Rowley said some people had announced they had parties but had no music, venue, or patron. He said it is no joke when they ask citizens to put the country first, as T&T requires serious leadership.
As Rowley approaches ten years as Prime Minister, he said he has never been drunk on the job.
“Nobody is holding any secret for me with respect to what financial gifts they have given me. The members of my Cabinet, not one of them could say to me, ‘If you move me, I will do that.’”
He said the time has come for people to take great care in considering who they want to run their affairs, as some believe it is about giving people a chance. Rowley said the country once did that, giving the National Alliance for Reconstruction a chance, but they went up Chancellor Hill. He said when the People’s Partnership got the opportunity, it emptied the Treasury.
He said the PNM got a well-earned victory and can point to how it moved the country forward.
Ignoring ‘silk’ criticism
Rowley also said he is ignoring claims of political bias surrounding the award of “silk” to Government ministers. He said he was proud people of that quality found their way to the PNM and demonstrated their worth on behalf of T&T. He said when legal professionals received “silk” last year, they included UNC members, including some who were known activists.
“When they got “silk,” I did not hear anybody accusing me of political bias, but when qualified PNM members of the profession, one who served as attorney general for five years, had more law advanced to the Parliament than virtually any other attorney general, the other one who fought on his legs to bring back millions of dollars to this country, was made senior counsel, I see in the… political bias on behalf of the PNM.”
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi and Port-of-Spain South MP Keith Scotland received “silk” from President Christine Kangaloo last week.
Rowley said it appears that when UNC members get “silk,” the system is good but when a PNM person gets “silk” the system is bad.
