FORMER PNM vice-chairman Robert Le Hunte said under the PNM constitution, the party can continue to run with the remaining members of the executive until the convention when a new political leader is elected. He said this must happen within six months.
Political leader Dr Keith Rowley, chairman Stuart Young and deputy political leader Rohan Sinanan resigned on April 30 and Dr Rowley revoked the appointments of deputy political leaders Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and Colm Imbert.
This leaves general secretary Foster Cummings, lady vice-chair Camille Robinson-Regis and deputy political leader Ancil Dennis as the remaining members of the party executive. On May 1, Arima MP Pennelope Beckles was chosen by the party to be Opposition Leader.
Le Hunte said the current situation where the post of Opposition Leader was filled without someone being in the post of political leader was uncommon.
“In the normal course of things, you will find once the political leader wins his seat and the party is in opposition, the political leader will automatically be opposition leader. There could be a situation where the political leader could lose his seat in the party. In this case we had a political leader separate from a Prime Minister and the political leader did not even go up for a seat and has now resigned.
“The two jobs are separate but in the normal practice of the party, once the political leader is in the House (of Representatives), that person would most likely be the opposition leader. In this case, because of the decisions previously taken, we have to have an opposition leader and then we will now go and select a political leader.”
He said decisions and proposals made by the executive have to be brought to the general council for ratification. He said the constitution does not have a provision for an interim leader.
“We have a leadership in place and that leadership will act as the leadership of the party and make the necessary political decisions that are required until a full executive is put in place.”
Le Hunte said the executive would meet to propose a date for the convention, which is currently scheduled for September.
“Additionally, we had an election that was postponed in December, and there were certain executive positions that were supposed to come up such as vice-chairman. I suspect now that the position of political leader and chairman have come up, an election for political leader will probably cover some of those other positions.”
He said when the PNM lost the 2010 election, prime minister Manning was the political leader, but the general council directed the MPs to vote for Dr Rowley as the Opposition Leader.
“In that case Rowley was the opposition leader, Manning resigned as the political leader and there was a vacancy. Rowley ran in the elections for the political leader and Beckles ran against him. The PNM has been in this position before.
“They are two separate positions. We have voted for Beckles as the Opposition Leader and now that there is a vacancy, I suspect she will put her name u
