NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says the majority of the population understands there is no controversy connected to the Prime Minister's decision to resign his post and as PNM political leader.
He attributed this to people becoming better educated on public affairs and less likely to fall for the attempts of others to mislead them.
Hinds made those comments during a radio interview on i95.5FM on January 12, one day after the PNM General Council met at its Balisier House headquarters in Port of Spain to discuss Dr Rowley's intention to resign as prime minister and party leader.
He said he was used to commentary in the media on important issues being uninformed and being used to create fluff and bacchanal.
But in the last week, Hinds continued, he was impressed with the level of maturity in the public discourse about what was involved in prime ministerial and political leadership succession.
He said many people were actively referring to the Constitution when it came to the powers of the President and the manner in which a prime minister was chosen.
Hinds attributed this in part to people becoming more educated and an increasing number of avenues whereby information can be found and objectively assessed.
He said the developments had "helped to enlighten the people of TT."
Hinds added that it augured well for the population being able to properly understand the facts of matters before them and not fall victim to the agendas of uninformed or mischievous people.
"We are not dealing with the same quality of operation now as existed or subsisted in 1995."
On January 11, after the PNM's General Council meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain, party general secretary Foster Cummings said all PNM MPs had committed their support to Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young as the next prime minister.
The General Council discussed Rowley's intention to retire from electoral politics before the end of the legal life of the government, Young to succeed him as prime minister and the party to hold a convention in September to elect a new political leader, when it held its regular monthly meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain on January 11.
On January 9, the PNM's central executive met to discuss matters related to Rowley's intention to resign as prime minister and political leader.
On January 3, Rowley announced his intention to retire from electoral politics and promised a smooth transition after he resigned as prime minister and PNM political leader.
At a news conference on January 6, Rowley said the PNM's parliamentary caucus of elected MPs had selected Young to succeed him as prime minister.
Government ministers who are senators were ineligible to vote.
At the time, the vote was split 11 in favour of Young and nine for Arima MP Pennelope Beckles-Robinson.
While not giving any definitive date for his resignation, Rowley says he should be done and finished with his last remaining official duties, including attending a Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Barbados, we
