THE upheaval in Laventille West over incumbent Fitzgerald Hinds is the mere tip of a revolt against the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and his handpicked successor Stuart Young.
Several PNM constituencies are planning to rise up against “deadbeat” repeat general election candidates, in what could emerge as a public showdown against Rowley.
Their strategy became easier to enforce after Balisier House ruled last week that constituency votes must be conducted by secret ballot and not by show of hands.
The rebellion is fuelled by Rowley’s determination to foist Young as the next PNM leader, and outrage by the working masses at their economic and social circumstances.
The dramatic anti-Hinds vote is unprecedented in the PNM’s heartland, where high-profile sitting representatives are a shoo-in for re-election.
“There are deeper undercurrents of change and dissatisfaction,” one analyst said.
“The people on the ground are fed up,” one member of the Laventille West women’s group said, in explaining the insurgency against Hinds and support for rising party star Kareem Marcelle.
A party member familiar with the situation said in a voice note: “That man (Hinds) does nothing for us; he comes here once in a while as a minister and not as a representative trying to solve our problems.
“Our lives are getting worse, and we see others rising.”
He recalled Hinds being splashed with floodwater in 2018, an incident the PNM then blamed on UNC activists.
“They did not take that as a wake-up call,” he said.
A General Council member said: “The protest vote in Laventille is a seismic shift in the great party of (founder) Eric Williams, with grassroots people saying they will not take this hardship anymore.
“I don’t know how the party bosses did not see this coming.”
The stunning vote by the Laventille West women merges with the fury against the upper-class Young being sponsored by Rowley to take over the 68-year-old party.
General Secretary Foster Cummings, Minister of Youth, is continuing to gain ground in his gritty campaign to contest the leadership post.
Several surrogates of Cummings are canvassing influential PNM constituencies and they are finding anger at “non-performing” and “deadbeat” Members of Parliament.
“These people are doing nothing for our communities,” one campaigner said.
“Give new, young people a chance,” he pleaded.
Twenty nine-year-old Marcelle has widespread support for his reported dedication to Laventille West and his professional growth against financial odds.
Marcelle, an attorney, is son of party loyalist Sherma Wilson, a broadcaster and former PNM alderman.
His supporters have been showcasing his achievements, including “active interest in local initiatives.”
After the meeting of the Laventille West women, Women’s League boss Camille Robinson-Regis moved swiftly to do damage control and insisted there were irregularities in the vote.
Robinson-Regis said she was “troubled by the use of a show of hands method in voting.”
Sources said the planned use of a secret ballot would permit more party dissidents to vote against incumbent MPs.
But there are fears that URP and CEPEP workers would beg instructed to attend similar meetings and support the serving parliamentarians.
As the momentum against Young grows, there is speculation that Rowley would call the general election before summoning the PNM’s convention and party polls.
That would permit the rubber-stamping of the candidates nominated by the current executive.
If that occurs, “things will get worse,” a Laventille activist said.
