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.
Comments