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  • 9 months ago
The PNM says it now has 40 prospective candidates for the upcoming General Election following the selection of four of them Tuesday night.

They include incumbent MPs and those who are new to the political arena.

So how is the PNM balancing experience with the next generation?

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00The imagery is one normally associated with Carnival, but it was all part of the show
00:11of support for Finance Minister Paul Inbert when he arrived at Balize House to appear
00:15before the PNM's Screening Committee to be the party's candidate for the constituency
00:21he has represented for over three decades, the Gomaten North East.
00:26After he was screened by the committee chaired by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley,
00:35Minister Inbert is confident he will be re-elected.
00:42He acknowledged that there were those who are not supportive of his next campaign.
00:46That's okay, I told her I wasn't too concerned about it. I feel good. And this is PNM, this is what PNM is all about.
00:53Former Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez later spoke with the media in support of Minister Inbert
00:59as Energy Minister Stuart Young is set to become the next Prime Minister when Prime
01:04Minister Dr Keith Rowley resigns the job before the general election due later this year.
01:10To be elected Prime Minister Stuart Young will have the opportunity of Minister Inbert's
01:19knowledge and wisdom and experience.
01:22Additionally, the PNM will be fielding candidates new to frontline politics,
01:27such as their prospective candidate, Pakamoto Manzanilla, Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Budu,
01:32and those who are seeking a second term in office, such as Communications Minister Simon Denobriga.
01:38What are you looking forward to in terms of the issues you would like to deal with
01:42in your constituency in the campaign for the general election?
01:46That's a great question. Firstly, I'd like to see us continue the work that we are doing,
01:50the work that we are doing well, especially with those state agencies, particularly under
01:57public utilities. We are looking to ramp up some of the infrastructural work. We have done the work,
02:04particularly with WASA, that has slowed down a lot of the paving works that we wanted to look at.
02:11Beyond that, I suppose it is about strengthening the people of Nigel Martin Central,
02:16working with the constituency executive.
02:19TV6 News posed a question to the former Port of Spain Mayor
02:22about another aspect of the work of the party now in government.
02:25Is it also a matter of a balance between the future of the PNM and those who are still with
02:31a certain level of experience? How does that change or transition occur without any sort of
02:39issues in terms of younger persons maybe wanting more say in the party
02:44and others with experience trying to manage that space?
02:47Well, you know, in everything, you have to have balance. I think the PNM has balanced
02:54that well over the years. If you get rid of all the experienced people,
02:59you will have no experience. You will have a lot of young people and then a lot of mistakes
03:04might be made. So it's good that the young people have an opportunity to learn.
03:07The former Port of Spain Mayor then made mention of the Prime Minister in waiting.
03:11And take, for instance, Stuart Young. He's a young candidate. He's come into the fray
03:17and he has worked very hard and he's gotten the opportunity to lead. So we have balance in that
03:25regard. And the experienced ones are still here to guide and to show and to develop and to ensure
03:34that they get the best training.
03:38Once Minister Young is appointed to be the next Prime Minister,
03:41he can either make changes to the cabinet or leave it as is.
03:45Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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