ON NOVEMBER 26, Fitzgerald Hinds was breathing fire and brimstone.
But 48 hours later, the Laventille West MP was out.
The Minister of National Security withdrew from PNM screening for his seat ahead of the next general election.
The move was not announced publicly by the normally outspoken and loquacious MP.
Instead, it was confirmed, as an aside, by the Prime Minister on November 28 at a Whitehall briefing, in which the predominant focus was the Government’s acceptance of a controversial pay hike.
No one should be surprised.
Mr Hinds has consistently been one of the least popular figures in the Cabinet.
Politics is a thankless job, and circumstances beyond their control have ensnared many public officials with good intentions.
However, the Laventille West MP’s unpopularity was often squarely of his own making.
Even when the lawyer and former police officer served in lower posts, in a long parliamentary career dating back to 1995, he courted controversy.
Case in point: his off-key remarks about a “30-year-old, healthy-looking, muscular” beggar who asked him for money when he was Minister of Youth Development.
While no recent national security minister has garnered widespread public adoration, Mr Hinds, who assumed the position in 2021, has overseen a concerning surge in murder rates.
Between 2021 and 2023, the police recorded 448, 605, and 557 killings, respectively.
Further, in 2024, 500 homicides were reported in less than 300 days. In Tobago, figures are at an all-time high.
The minister’s tenure also coincided with the 2021 collapse of the Police Service Commission and tensions with a former police commissioner.
In July, the PM, who denied involvement in Mr Hinds’ withdrawal decision, appointed Keith Scotland to oversee policing within the same ministry and granted him Cabinet status. This move signalled that change was coming.
Though the Laventille West MP will serve out his term, that he will not face re-election underlines the sense of the PNM being in transition.
Along with figures such as Camille Robinson-Regis, Pennelope Beckles-Robinson and Colm Imbert, he is one of the few old-guard officials who have governed under successive leaders.
Kareem Marcelle’s emergence as a candidate for Mr Hinds’ seat suggests a growing push for younger members within the party. This comes during the final screenings and amidst speculation about leadership.
Dr Rowley’s simultaneous confirmation of Mr Hinds’ departure from the House and acceptance of the SRC report suggests the party is navigating a delicate situation.
Ahead of the next poll, it is cleaning house – Balisier House – while embracing the political consequences of acting without fear.
The post Cleaning house appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
