LAVENTILLE West PNM party group and constituency officials are convinced that Fitzgerald Hinds was pushed out of contesting the upcoming general election.
Several constituency officers and activists are firmly of the view that the party’s leadership asked Hinds to step down to avert an embarrassing public protest during the screening exercise.
They insist that Hinds was made to back down also as a nod to the new wave of PNM militants, including Kareem Marcelle and Foster Cummings.
Marcelle, a 29-year-old Port of Spain Alderman, narrowly lost the constituency’s nomination to contest the Laventille West seat.
He carried the vote among women and youths, but the constituency’s executive opted for incumbent Hinds.
Party insiders claim that URP and CEPEP workers were brought in to support Hinds.
After Hinds was nominated, some Marcelle supporters strategised to protest outside Balisier House while the Screening Committee met, and to mount an aggressive social media campaign.
An informed source said there were plans to speak out about under-representation and the declining quality of life among the working class.
Some members had already made damning statements on alleged lack of service to constituents during Hinds’ tenure.
In a widely-circulated electronic note, one resident of the constituency claimed that Hinds rarely visited the constituency.
Hinds was a source of much party controversy, in part because of his failure to tame the crime crisis as Minister of National Security.
Safety and security is a major general election issue.
Internal party surveys have found that the PNM is vulnerable on the issue.
Aggrieved party activists had also proposed to back candidates against certain incumbents, including Tunapuna’s Esmond Forde and Toco-Sangre Grande’s Roger Munroe.
One strategist summed up the withdrawal nomination of Hinds’ candidacy as “the leadership calling off the dogs.
“They know there is unrest on the ground and have decided to make a peace offering.
“It is a tactical move.”
He stressed that Marcelle has “strong support” and that many diehard supporters were determined to confront party bosses.
They pointed to the recent football competition in the Beetham Estate, which Marcelle organised and which attracted several teams and largr audiences.
They now expect that the young challenger would be anointed as the constituency’s candidate.
One seasoned political operative who is advising the Laventille West activists contended that PNM leader, Dr. Keith Rowley was behind Hinds’ decision.
At a media conference last Thursday, Rowley feigned ignorance about what led to Hinds’ shock move.
But the political advisor theorised that the MP was urged to decline nomination partly in recognition of Cummings’ activism.
Cummings, the PNM’s General Secretary, has been leading an insurgent movement of emerging politicians who feel the ruling party has moved away from its urban Black roots.
They are also dead-set against Stuart Young becoming the successor to Rowley as party leader.
The campaigner shared the view that Hinds’ withdrawal would serve to “ease the tension and comfort floor members that the party’s leadership is listening.”
There is now speculation that Hinds’ retreat would be followed by the withdrawal of certain other PNM incumbents.
