This weekend, PNMites must vote wisely for the right leadership - and not for those people who are echoing the UNC's narrative!
That was the call last night from Energy Minister Stuart Young, the Leaders in Service's (LIS) candidate for chairman in PNM's internal elections.
Voting begins tomorrow (Sat) and continues on Sunday and December 4.
Young was among speakers at LIS' meeting in Diego Martin leading up to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's feature address. The venue was filled with Ministers, MPs, supporters, certain DM West "backers" and others.
Young, who said the PNM was on the eve of something critical for party and country, added, "We have a day left and must make the right choices ... you see those people who come forward and talk about 'service, service, service' - tell them to rock so!"
Young said he was among those who worked with Rowley on the Emailgate matter.
"But who was around from 2010 to help rebuild the party? I know a few who weren't there ... one of them put herself forward, she suddenly remember she had a party card and say 'I'm a member and I can lead the party'. But we say, rock so!
"As we enter elections, we must remember who was with us in times of adversity, and helped Dr Rowley rebuild. Send them a strong message - he's the one we chose!"
Indirectly referencing Wednesday's failed court case by leadership candidate Karen Nunez-Tesheira, he slammed those who'd gone to court and said PNM's general council didn't tell them X and Y, or they didn't know what happened in the council.
"...Because you're not a member! You're not around us! How many general councils you really went to? How you could jump on a UNC narrative and question the Balisier House headquarters of the same PNM you want to lead? So, rock so!"
He said the court had stated there was no evidence of bad faith and no need to worry about PNM's election, as the police will be present, as will be Pannel Kerr Foster and an excellent supervisory team.
Young repeated questions he'd raised about whether in 2009 when Clico was about to collapse, if "... Madame Rush-to-Court, who wasn't with us in 2010 but was Finance Minister in 2009, what she did a few days before the whole (Clico) thing became public?
"Did you or any family member, just before the government intervened, go quietly and withdraw money from the whole Clico empire? And you think you have the integrity to lead our great party?! Rock so!"
Young said the then-government propped Clico up but the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government did nothing to recover the money and no security was taken for the billions of taxpayers' funds involved.
He said when the Rowley administration entered, another "so-called PNMite," who in the Sunday Guardian criticising the PNM, was advising Clico shareholders how to keep the government out of the issue.
"So, when you have these so-called PNMites pretending they're PNM, all yuh do them a favour and tell them to rock so!" he added.
Young, who said he "sleeps in red," also pelted words at UNC about the PNM's energy achievements, including $11B earnings.
"So, PNM family, you have to choose the right leadership..."
Foster: I said the psalms and we beat them in court
General secretary unopposed Foster Cummings said the PNM was alive and well.
"... Never again Kamla! Never again!"
Cummings, recalling how he received the documents for the recent court case, said he recited the psalms. "Then I called the leader, we hired some good lawyers, went to court and put a sound cuttail on them!"
He said some vying for PNM office were sounding like the UNC.
"... A similar narrative...I can't stomach that those who want to lead the PNM sounding just like they come from the bosom of the UNC!
"They want to lead the PNM, we rebuilding for future generations, yet you cussing the party - members, demonstrate to them how you feel about Balisier House and vote for LIS!"
Candidate for vice chairman Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly related how she - a Seventh Day Adventist and mother of three - entered politics in 2014 and went from "the frying pan" in Community Development " into the fire" in Education.