Former PNM general secretary Ashton Ford says new blood is the only hope for the PNM and cautioned the new political leader not to appoint those who lost in the April 28 general election in the Parliament as senators.
The PNM lost the 2025 general election to the United National Congress and its coalition of interests 26-13, while the Tobago People's Party won the two Tobago seats. Over 100,000 people who traditionally voted for the PNM stayed away from the polls.
Ford, a former mayor of Arima, told Newsday he was there in 1986 to witness the PNM being defeated by the National Alliance for Reconstruction, winning only three of 36 seats, and the subsequent resignation of former prime minister George Chambers, which led to an internal election.
Ford said he lost the internal election and the late Patrick Manning was elected political leader.
He believes Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles would not have any competition for the leadership of the party in the upcoming party internal election and said, just as Manning dismissed the 'old guard' at the time, it was necessary for Beckles to bring in new faces.
He said the lack of support in the 1986 general election showed people did not want the old guard.
'The party members who didn't vote sent a message and he brought in (former PM Dr Keith) Rowley, Wendell Mottley and all these people. And that's what we're hoping for. Because if she put the losers, like Faris (Al-Rawi), and they, in the Senate, they will be answering questions about their term in office.'
Former PNM vice-chairman Robert Le Hunte said there was a lot of excitement surrounding the convention and the internal elections.
'There is a lot of excitement about the whole idea of putting a new executive team in place to start the rebuilding of the PNM. I think everyone is anxious to have the membership go back to convention and let the members decide the way forward.'
He said people were rallying around Beckles as they appreciated her disposition, experience and leadership style. He said people believed she was what the party needed now.
'The party is a democratic party and, although at this point I am not aware, I suspect, there will always be people who will have their own political aspirations. That is also welcomed because democracy is good.'
Beckles will have to appoint six senators before new Parliamentary session convenes on May 23.
Dawn of a new era
On April 30, Beckles, the Arima MP, was nominated by the PNM's 12 elected MPs to become opposition leader.
In 2014, she contested the party's leadership but lost to Rowley. And on January 6, the PNM parliamentary caucus was split 11-9 to support Stuart Young as PM-designate. Beckles got the support of nine colleagues.
Rowley stepped down as PM on March 16 and resigned as political leader effective May 1. Young formally replaced him as PM on March 17 and called the general election the following day.
Following the PNM resounding defeat, Rowley resigned as the party's political leader, Young resigned as chairma
