Manning team wins all party posts... new faces on executive

THE new executive of the People’s National Movement (PNM) was yesterday elected following the party’s 38th annual convention at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre. The Manning team of candidates headed by Works Minister Franklyn Khan won all the party posts. Some new faces have been elected among the four posts contested.

The four posts contested were those of Chairman, Assistant General Secretary, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Youth Officer, Female. The other positions were unopposed, since those who had originally put up their names to contest, withdrew at the last minute. Those unopposed posts included that of Political Leader, held by Prime Minister Patrick Manning. As was expected, Works Minister Franklyn Khan was elected as the party’s new chairman. He got 352 votes. His rivals were Harvey Borris and Hugh Francis, who got 132 votes each. The new Assistant General Secretary is Rose Janniere, who previously served as the Public Relations Officer. Janniere got 347 votes over her rival Ronnie Sookoo who got 283 votes. Sookoo was the incumbent.

For the post of PRO, Jerry Narace, Ambassador Plenipotentiary was elected, having received 419 votes. That position was also contested by Mark McPeane who got 105 votes and Romando Rampersad who got 95 votes. The new Youth Officer, Female, is former NAR minister Jennifer Johnson. Johnson got 381 votes over Joan Hackshaw-Marcelli, the incumbent. A total of 675 delegates were eligible to vote. Over the two days, 5,526 persons attended the convention. Additionally, Manning said after “appropriate consultations” the four deputy political leaders remained unchanged. They are Joan Yuille-Williams, Party and Election Matters; Nafessa Mohammed, Policy Matters; Kenneth Valley, Legislative Matters and Orville London, Tobago Affairs. Manning in congratulating Khan said he had come to office at a significant time when the party has to move on and look at its membership more closely.