Out of place and lacking in moral authority to talk. That was People’s National Movement (PNM) general secretary Ashton Ford’s view of long-standing member Louis Lee Sing’s recent criticism of PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, and Lee Sing’s bid to challenge the leadership. After Lee Sing spoke on Wednesday, a number of PNMites told T&T Guardian yesterday that they felt Lee Sing was not “serious and “was just talking.” But Lee Sing again made it clear yesterday that he will take the fight concerning the party leadership to PNMites. He did not rule out backing someone other than himself either.
Yesterday, however, the PNM hierarchy reacted harshly to Lee Sing’s remarks, issuing a statement on the matter. PNM chairman Franklin Khan told T&T Guardian the party election for leadership was due in 2015, but Rowley last year had said he would offer himself for leadership in 2014. Khan said the date for the leadership poll is set for the first quarter of 2014. But he said that would depend on whether there is a general election, in which case the party would stick to the tradition of entering a general poll under the leader in place. He also said the contest would depend on whether there are any hitches with the one-man, one-vote system which the PNM will be trying for the first time in the leadership election.
Ford, however, focused his guns straight at Lee Sing, saying: “He’s never gone on our walkabouts in the country, or interaction with constituencies, or attended PNM events or our Family Day. Nor has he attended public meetings. “He hasn’t attended general council meetings for the term—which started after our last November convention. And he was replaced on the central executive, but retains the standing of ex officio member on the PNM’s general council. “So he’s not an active member and he has no moral authority to speak on behalf of the party,” Ford said. “Worse, he claims we’re not ready, but we’ve completed local government screening and candidates are in the field. We have so many things going on! But you know why he’s unaware of it? It’s because he isn’t involved!”
Asked if he felt Lee Sing might gather support in the PNM and take that support in Jack Warner’s Independent Liberal Party (ILP) direction, Ford said he had no evidence of that. Khan’s statement added that Rowley successfully mobilised members to endorse a new election one-man, one-vote system for all positions on the national executive. “Dr Keith Rowley has been one of the most progressive leaders that the PNM has seen,” Khan said. “PNM’s internal election is somewhere ahead of us but on a horizon well beyond local government election and a national budget...to echo the sentiments of the political leader, we trust all members will have their hands on deck and be focused on the business of the party and country and not on the business of themselves at this time.”
Khan said the PNM was prepared for whenever the Prime Minister sets a date for the local government elections. “Our candidates have been selected and are busy working,” he said. “We take strong objection to anyone using the public domain to disseminate misinformation about the PNM, its organs and its internal processes.” Other PNMites, including MPs, declined comment on Lee Sing’s views yesterday.