00:00It is the first time that a political leader who is the Prime Minister has left office
00:06other than in a coffin, or by way of an election loss, and therefore Dr Rowley is creating
00:12history today.
00:13Rural Development and Local Government Minister Farris Al-Rawi speaking the day before Stuart
00:19Young's appointment as the next Prime Minister.
00:2276-1A is quite simply where on the occasion of the appointment of a Prime Minister the
00:29President shall appoint the person who is the leader in the House of Representatives
00:36of the party that controls the majority.
00:39Twenty-one of us have unanimously said that Minister Young has our support.
00:43He has indicated he is willing, therefore he qualifies under 76-1A.
00:48During the PNM's special convention on Sunday, the outgoing Prime Minister responded to the
00:53opposition leader's threat of legal action as he made reference to the 2015 General Election.
01:23Minister Al-Rawi said he was expressing his own view.
01:32They can't challenge the act of the President.
01:35They can ask for an interpretation of the Constitution.
01:38That is par for the course.
01:40One thing I can say is that in my ten years as Attorney General she's lost every single
01:44matter that she brought of any serious measure.
01:48However, TV6 News has sought some clarification from the Minister since the PNM could be facing
01:54the next General Election with their political leader not being the Prime Minister.
02:00And one wonders how soon will that issue in terms of the new political leadership be addressed?
02:06Will that be done before or after the election?
02:09So the Prime Minister, Dr Rawi as our political leader, has already dealt with that issue
02:15by the party at the General Council meeting that we had post the January retreat that we had.
02:23The party determined that we will have our convention in September.
02:26So that is not a debatable issue.
02:29We also spoke with the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government about immediate reports
02:34of a pending Cabinet shake-up since a new Attorney General is to be appointed.
02:39Under section 77-3A of the Constitution, that on the appointment or reappointment of a Prime
02:44Minister all Ministers vacate office.
02:47So there will be a new Cabinet following upon Minister Young's appointment.
02:51In the last three years I've been in Rural Development and Local Government and there's
02:54a heavy amount of work going on.
02:56Not only in reform but in project delivery.
02:59Personally, it's important for me to carry out my job.
03:04We are at, we're in a hundred metres race at marker 99.
03:10Minister Al Rawi said Cabinet appointments will be the sole discretion of the new Prime Minister.
03:16Jule Brown, TV6 News.
Comments