JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Ferdie predicts victory for Penny’s slate

by

Shaliza Hassanali
24 days ago
20250622
People’s National Movement stalwart  Ferdie Ferreira

People’s National Movement stalwart Ferdie Ferreira

ABRAHAM DIAZ

Se­nior In­ves­tiga­tive Re­porter

shal­iza.has­sanali@guardian.co.tt

Found­ing mem­ber of the Peo­ple’s Na­tion­al Move­ment (PNM) Fer­di­nand Fer­reira is pre­dict­ing vic­to­ry for Pen­ne­lope Beck­less One PNM slate of can­di­dates, some of whom he de­scribed as “heavy bag­gage” vy­ing for po­si­tions on the par­ty’s na­tion­al ex­ec­u­tive.

The in­ter­nal poll is sched­uled to­day, with the One PNM team chal­leng­ing the Peo­ple’s Cham­pi­on, led by at­tor­ney Farai Hove Ma­sai­sai.

There are 50 can­di­dates in the elec­tion race, 30 of whom are in­de­pen­dents.

There are 17 po­si­tions up for grabs.

Al­though 100, 200 mem­bers are list­ed to vote, Fer­reira feels the vot­er turnout will be small.

“I have no doubt in my mind that they will win. I don’t ex­pect a high turnout.”

He al­so warned Beck­les that some of her can­di­dates are “too much bag­gage” and “it can­not be busi­ness as usu­al”.

Fer­reira said he was not sat­is­fied with Beck­les’ se­lec­tion of Fos­ter Cum­mings and Faris Al-Rawi, who were de­feat­ed in the April 28 Gen­er­al Elec­tion.

“Peo­ple want­ed to see some­thing dif­fer­ent. But you bring back these men. But when you go in­to an elec­tion with can­di­dates who were part­ly re­spon­si­ble for the de­feat, I say, what is that?”

Fer­reira said he told Beck­les she had to get rid of the bag­gage.

In ad­di­tion, he said he was not yet con­vinced of Beck­les’ lead­er­ship style.

“I am not mak­ing any apolo­gies for that.”

Fer­reira was weigh­ing in on the in­ter­nal elec­tions one day af­ter out­go­ing PNM La­dy Vice Chair­man Camille Robin­son-Reg­is called on can­di­dates to stop fight­ing and bash­ing for­mer prime min­is­ter and po­lit­i­cal leader Dr Kei­th Row­ley.

Fer­reira said he agreed with Robin­son-Reg­is’ state­ment that Row­ley did pos­i­tive things for the par­ty and coun­try.

Ad­mit­ting that Row­ley made mis­takes and was not per­fect, Fer­reira said, “What­ev­er we wish to say about him, which would be a lot, he left T&T in a bet­ter place.”

He said Row­ley’s main prob­lem was his at­ti­tude and ag­gres­sion.

Asked if the in­fight­ing would con­tin­ue af­ter the polls, Fer­reira said that would de­pend on the qual­i­ty of the new lead­er­ship.

Fer­reira said he was un­com­fort­able with what is tak­ing place in the PNM.

“I am some­what un­com­fort­able in terms of the lev­el to which the in­ter­nal con­ver­sa­tions have be­come pub­lic. As I said be­fore, the PNM is not a se­cret so­ci­ety, From time im­memo­r­i­al, there have been pub­lic con­flicts with the PNM.

“But at a time when the par­ty has just been a vic­tim of a mas­sive de­feat and is in the process of re­struc­tur­ing and re­unit­ing, I am not sat­is­fied that this is head­ing in the right di­rec­tion.”

He said the new lead­er­ship would have to en­sure that these in­ter­nal con­ven­tions are stopped.

Yes­ter­day, for­mer PNM gen­er­al sec­re­tary Ash­ton Ford lashed out at Arou­ca/Lopinot MP Mar­vin Gon­za­les, who stat­ed at a re­cent po­lit­i­cal meet­ing in To­ba­go that the PNM had be­come a “dor­mant po­lit­i­cal force”.

Ford said Gon­za­les’ state­ment was “un­for­tu­nate, ridicu­lous and sur­pris­ing”, es­pe­cial­ly as a con­tender for the chair­man’s post.

“He was out of place.”

De­scrib­ing Gon­za­les as a “John­ny-come-late­ly”, Ford said, “The in­her­i­tors must not for­get the builders of the par­ty.”

Ford said he agreed with Robin­son-Reg­is that Row­ley was un­der at­tack by peo­ple with­in the par­ty.

For­mer PNM vice chair­man Robert Le Hunte re­called that when Row­ley was dis­missed from Patrick Man­ning’s Cab­i­net in 2009, he ex­pressed “sharp and se­ri­ous views about the lead­er­ship of the PNM. His cri­tiques, de­liv­ered with clar­i­ty and con­vic­tion, were not seen as be­tray­al but rather as part of the de­mo­c­ra­t­ic and in­tro­spec­tive process that every po­lit­i­cal par­ty must un­der­go.”


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

Shastri Boodan

Shastri Boodan

Apsara inspires youth through culture

Yesterday
Dr Mariama Alleyne

Dr Mariama Alleyne

Dr Mariama Alleyne

Dr Mariama Alleyne

Dr Mariama Alleyne: Global Hero of Hope supports cancer survivors

2 days ago
During my consultation with Ms Brafit CEO Nicole Joseph-Chin, what was supposed to be a simple mastectomy bra fitting became something much deeper. Her thoughtful questions unlocked emotions I didn’t even realise I was holding in. She comforted, reassured, and helped me face the truth of what was coming. That bra wasn’t just clothing—it was the first real symbol of life after surgery.

During my consultation with Ms Brafit CEO Nicole Joseph-Chin, what was supposed to be a simple mastectomy bra fitting became something much deeper. Her thoughtful questions unlocked emotions I didn’t even realise I was holding in. She comforted, reassured, and helped me face the truth of what was coming. That bra wasn’t just clothing—it was the first real symbol of life after surgery.

During my consultation with Ms Brafit CEO Nicole Joseph-Chin, what was supposed to be a simple mastectomy bra fitting became something much deeper. Her thoughtful questions unlocked emotions I didn’t even realise I was holding in. She comforted, reassured, and helped me face the truth of what was coming. That bra wasn’t just clothing—it was the first real symbol of life after surgery.

During my consultation with Ms Brafit CEO Nicole Joseph-Chin, what was supposed to be a simple mastectomy bra fitting became something much deeper. Her thoughtful questions unlocked emotions I didn’t even realise I was holding in. She comforted, reassured, and helped me face the truth of what was coming. That bra wasn’t just clothing—it was the first real symbol of life after surgery.

Standing on business, not pity: My fight begins–Part 2

2 days ago
Gillian de Souza graces the cover of the book: Minding Their Own Business: Five Female Leaders From Trinidad and Tobago authored by Trini-American Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, Professor of Literacy Studies at the College of Education Health and Human Services at Kent State University.

Gillian de Souza graces the cover of the book: Minding Their Own Business: Five Female Leaders From Trinidad and Tobago authored by Trini-American Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, Professor of Literacy Studies at the College of Education Health and Human Services at Kent State University.

Gillian de Souza graces the cover of the book: Minding Their Own Business: Five Female Leaders From Trinidad and Tobago authored by Trini-American Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, Professor of Literacy Studies at the College of Education Health and Human Services at Kent State University.

Gillian de Souza graces the cover of the book: Minding Their Own Business: Five Female Leaders From Trinidad and Tobago authored by Trini-American Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, Professor of Literacy Studies at the College of Education Health and Human Services at Kent State University.

Gillian de Souza’s American culinary journey springs from T&T roots

2 days ago
iiq_pixel