Fear not for opposing Manning

NO ONE in the People’s National Movement (PNM) has anything to fear if they challenge incumbent party leader, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, for the post he has held since 1987. This was the declaration yesterday from PNM vice-chairman John Donaldson following the PNM’s General Council meeting at Balisier House. Manning is one of eight persons who were re-elected unopposed to their positions ahead of the party’s annual convention in Chaguaramas on October 26 and 27. Asked if fear of political victimisation was the reason why no one was challenging Manning, Donaldson recalled that Manning defeated Aeneas Wills and current Planning Minister Dr Keith Rowley for the PNM’s top post in 1987 and 1996 respectively. “I don’t think anyone can indicate any victimisation which has visited on any of these candidates,” he said.

Donaldson dismissed reports of dissension within the PNM’s ranks about Works Minister Franklyn Khan coming up against his predecessor Hugh Francis for chairmanship of the party. Former councillor Harvey Borris is also in the running for PNM chairman. “The names that we have here, have satisfied all the criteria under our party’s constitution,” Donaldson stated. The PNM vice-chairman also rejected claims that Khan was Manning’s “blue-eyed boy” and therefore a shoo-in as PNM chairman. Donaldson said such views were indicative of persons who had no concept about how the PNM functioned and noted that “blue-eyed boys” do not always get what they want. He said he was unaware of any planned announcement at the convention of Attorney General Glenda Morean being appointed as TT’s new High Commissioner to London. “Those are government matters,” Donaldson stated. Recalling that he served effectively as both a government minister and a member of the PNM’s executive, Donaldson disagreed with a school of thought which said an individual could not balance party and governmental responsibilities. He reminded reporters that the PNM was different from any other political party in TT and did not “fracture” like other parties immediately after elections. Donaldson apologised for the absence of Prime Minister Patrick Manning who flew to Grenada yesterday morning to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the coup which toppled the late Grenadian PM Maurice Bishop. Radical members of Bishop’s New Jewel Movement were subsequently removed from power by a United States-led military invasion of the island.