Would he make it as Sando West candidate?
FARIS Al Rawi came out batting for Pennelope Beckles at the PNM’s Tobago retreat in an effort to block his former pal Stuart Young.
Al Rawi was “fiery” in “leading the charge” for Beckles, I am told.
Now there is speculation in the PNM camp about whether Young would retain Al Rawi as the general election candidate for San Fernando West.
The constituency’s executive had previously appealed to party boss Dr. Keith Rowley to keep Al Rawi as the candidate.
Al Rawi’s political star has been fading in recent years and his relationship with Young has soured.
They were seen as bosom buddies in the early years of the PNM administration, and referred to by the political opposition as “the Young and the Restless.”
While Young is enjoying a dramatic rise in local politics, Al Rawi has declined, losing the post of Attorney General in March 2022 and no longer in the PNM’s inner circle.
Al Rawi’s surprising advocacy was one feature of the retreat, during which there were backroom promises, subtle threats and attempts at horse-trading.
“There was a lot of jockeying behind the scenes,” one participant told me.
Adrian Leonce, MP for Laventille West/Morvant, supported Beckles, and not Young, as suggested on social media.
Leonce is being replaced as an election candidate, the announcement made a few days after he told the Guardian newspaper he didn’t expect the government to accept a pay increase.
Rowley later announced that the government would implement the Salaries Review Commission’s proposal.
There is conjecture over Saturday’s meeting of the party’s General Council.
The so-called Black Caucus, of which General Secretary Foster Cummings is seen as titular head, remains unhappy over Young taking over the biggest political job in the land.
Cummings supported Beckles at the retreat.
One reason for Rowley stepping down as Prime Minister and facilitating his favoured political son as his successor is to avert bacchanal in the PNM.
There is, however, much unease in the ruling party.
