Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley has easily retained leadership of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), brushing aside a challenge from former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, who had failed to get a court injunction to postpone the vote.
Keith Rowley, who has led the party since 2010, when it lost to the People’s Partnership government in the general election, received 8,424 votes or 92 percent, while Nunez-Tesheira, who served as finance minister in the cabinet of the government of the late Patrick Manning, polled 345 votes or four percent of total votes, while Junior Barrack, another leadership contender, received 99 votes.
“The public will know we had a court challenge from one of our candidates and we survived the challenge, and so it has demonstrated to us in the PNM that we have deepened the democracy of the PNM so that as members you can challenge, you are open to challenge,” said the chairman of the party’s elections supervisory committee, Anthony Roberts, as he announced the results of the three days of voting late on Monday.
“I recall the question when we launched that people were saying other members of the party might be afraid and timid to contest because Dr, Rowley is the political leader. You had four people in that race, so you can feel free in the PNM to participate and contest any position,” he added.
Nunez-Tesheira and members of her Team Karen slate – Dr. Kenneth Butcher and Bishop Victor Phillip had gone to the court complaining of at least ten issues which they listed as breaches. Among the complaints was the decision to change the voting period from one day to three days, which their lawyers argued was unconstitutional.
However, Justice Devindra Rampersad ruled on November 23 there was no evidence of the potential of an unfair election.
Energy Minister Stuart Young was elected as the new chairman of the party, with Education Minister, Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly being the new vice chairman.
Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi will now serve as the party’s public relations officer.
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