SOME members of the People’s National Movement (PNM) are pleased with Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles’ choice of senators for 13th Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, saying the opposition bench was a good combination of experience and youth.

Opposition Senators Dr Amery Browne, Faris Al-Rawi, Foster Cummings, Vishnu Dhanpaul, Melanie Roberts-Radgman and Janelle John-Bates were sworn in during the ceremonial opening at the Red House, Port of Spain, on May 23.

Former PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said he liked the newcomers Roberts-Radgman and John-Bates, but especially Dhanpaul who was TT’s high commissioner to the UK and, from March 17 to April 28, served as minister of finance.

“Those highly qualified ladies seem to be well-equipped to be in Senate. They are a nice inspiration to the young people in the party.”

He said there were “a lot of young people” in the party like himself and former prime minister Dr Rowley when the late Patrick Manning became political leader of the PNM, but they were guided by senior members.

“We have to organise to give guidance. There are party members who are experts in their particular fields, so we should tap the resources in the party and assist.”

He said he would like to see the formation of a previously suggested elders’ committee whose members would make recommendations to the leadership when necessary.

“So I’m wishing the new people well and I’m hoping the government doesn’t waste too much time criticising Foster and Faris over their tenure as ministers so that we have no time to deal with the government’s programmes and policies.”

He said he would reserve his comments on Cummings and Al-Rawi because now was not the time to be critical, but a time to press forward. But he believed Browne was an experienced man who would be a good leader.

Former PNM vice-chairman Robert Le Hunte also believed the senators on the opposition bench were a good combination of the new and the experienced.

In addition, he said they all had different areas of specialities and focus and were from different areas of the country.

He noted John-Bates was an attorney who provided legal services to government and inter-governmental organisations in TT and abroad, while Roberts-Radgman, also an attorney, was an activist from Tobago.

He said with Dhanpaul’s years of public service in the ministries of finance, energy and public utilities, he would add “tremendous value” to the Senate. About Cummings, he said “the man did a lot of work” in the ministry of youth development and national service and former attorney general Al-Rawi would be alert to possible negative amendments to the Constitution the government may want to make with its majority in the House.

Browne’s past performance, he said, spoke for itself and everyone respected him. Browne, a medical doctor, was previously a senator, TT ambassador to Brazil, MP for Diego Martin Central, minister of social development and minister of foreign and Caricom affairs.

“All of those factors needed to be put into consideration in