General secretary of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Foster Cummings yesterday denied he was controlling the Elections Supervisory Committee.
He defended the integrity of the PNM’s election process, saying that none of the incumbents (including him) had any control or influence over the election process.
Cummings said that the Elections Supervisory Committee was the same committee put in place by former political leader Dr Keith Rowley last November when the party had begun preparing for an internal election, which was later cancelled.
apologises to supporters: Marvin Gonzales
He said the same 17 persons on the committee were retained when the party decided to go to the polls this year, following the resignation of Rowley as political leader and Stuart Young as chairman.
“The committee was appointed under Dr Rowley, so how could I be controlling it?” he asked.
He said the membership of the committee was not changed specifically for this reason—to prevent allegations of influence.
Told that people were saying that as the person managing Balisier House, he had some influence, Cummings said the management of Balisier House had nothing to do with the Elections Supervisory Committee.
“The whole purpose of having an Elections Supervisory Committee to manage the internal election is so that it can operate independently of the party executive. And it has always been so,” he said.
‘more caring leadership’:
Dr Amery Browne
“Anybody who contacts me about anything concerning the election, I simply refer them to the Elections Supervisory Committee chairman or secretary,” he added.
He said all the candidates in this internal election had the right to have scrutineers at all 41 polling stations today.
He said there is a polling station in each constituency, and each candidate would have the opportunity to have a scrutineer to monitor the process, from the beginning to the end of the poll with the counting of the ballot.
“That is to protect the integrity of the process,” he said.
Asked why the vice-chairman of the ESC resigned, Cummings said he had no idea.
He said the vice-chairman was under no obligation to speak with him in respect of his resignation.
Cummings also categorically denied that the staff at Balisier House was being required to call members soliciting support for anyone.
“That is a fabricated issue,” he said.
No comment
On the issue of the Facebook post of Camille Robinson-Regis, Cummings said he had no comment to make on it.
Last week, defending Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles’ decision to have a slate in the internal election, Dr Amery Browne said the first thing former PNM leader Patrick Manning did in opposition was to go into the highways, the byways and walk every constituency to connect with the people.
He said Beckles was doing precisely that—“going out into the communities, not to bouff up people and bawl up people and carry on and blame this one and blame that one. But to listen to the people and to learn what their priorities are”.
Browne, who said Dr Eric Williams always had a slate in the PNM election, said the country was “thirsty” for a different kind of leadership.
“Leadership isn’t always loud and boisterous, leadership is soft and resonating. Leadership isn’t always aggressive. Sometimes leadership has a more caring face and a more concerned and connected ethos. Leadership isn’t always someone who can stand up and give a 45-minute speech without any notes,” he said.
Speaking two weeks ago at a meeting, Marvin Gonzales said, “Had the structures of the party been invoked and been operational and had our leaders had the humility to listen to the voices in the ghetto and those in the community and every single supporter of goodwill, the PNM would have remained in Government.
“I want to apologise to all PNM supporters because we did not listen to you…. Those who were responsible for the management of the party did not listen to your voice because they believed that leadership and certain decisions should only be confined to certain spaces in Trinidad and Tobago.”
“Had we kept our General Council as a space where dissenting voices were heard, I will tell you, there would have been no early elections in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Had the voices of most of our members of Parliament and our senators been heard, there would have been no early election in T&T, and those who supported that early election, I dare you to come forward and defy us….
“The vast majority of us said that as a party, we needed to go into the communities and work with our people and prepare the ground….Had our leaders had the humility to listen, the PNM would have been preparing for its third term in Government,” he said.
The Parliament was constitutionally due to dissolve in August.
The general election was called on April 28.
