00:00Just hours after RIMA MP Penelope Peckles-Robinson was sworn in as the new opposition leader on Tuesday, Dr. Nyan Gatspidoli was elected chairman of the PNM at a special meeting of the party's general council at Balizie House.
00:14I want to thank the general council for the confidence you posed in me to serve as the chairman during this very critical time in the PNM's transition as we look forward towards the organization of our internal election where we will fill the, of course, political leader position that is very critical to be filled as we move into opposition and organize ourselves to be the formidable opposition that we expect to be as we wait to assume our position as the government of China.
00:45The PNM's new chairman is now an opposition member, as is the party's new vice chairman, Colm Inbert.
00:51The PNM's general secretary, Foster Cummings, sought to make one thing clear about who will now be the lead spokesperson for the party.
01:00The official voice of the PNM opposition will be the leader of the opposition who received the appointment today.
01:07The PNM's general secretary said there were two nominees for party chairman and only one for vice chairman at the meeting, which was attended by 122 members of the general council.
01:1860 votes for Dr. Nian Gatsby Dolly, 58 votes for Mayor Chinua Allen, and four spoiled ballots.
01:29As a result, the new chairman of the People's National Movement is Dr. Nian Gatsby Dolly.
01:37The new vice chairman of the PNM, having been uncontested, is MP Colm Inbert.
01:46The PNM's new chairman and vice chairman both served in the cabinet for the past 10 years, led mostly by former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and briefly by former Prime Minister Stuart Young, until the PNM's resounding loss in the 2025 general election last week.
02:01On his last day as the PNM's political leader, Dr. Rowley revoked the deputy political leader appointments of Dr. Gatsby Dolly and Mr. Inbert.
02:10The PNM's new chairman expressed no ill feelings.
02:13If you're into politics, it's a very dynamic space.
02:17And I think Dr. Rowley has prepared his young people.
02:21He calls us his young people.
02:23Ten years ago, he took us and gave us responsibility.
02:27And I think Dr. Rowley is going to be very proud of the fact that he has raised a cadre of leaders that can take their rightful place.
02:36Now that he has moved on to the organization of the party, the leadership of the party, I think that is very important.
02:43And I think he'll be very proud of us.
02:45The PNM's new vice chairman followed up on that point with a statement he said he was making on his own behalf.
02:51And I will not be contesting a position in the next internal election, okay?
02:56I will wait for whoever's appointed leader and see whether that person, in their wisdom, may wish to ask me to be a deputy political leader.
03:05But I won't be contesting chairman, vice chairman, or any position.
03:08I think it's time for younger people and fresh faces to come forward and take over the leadership of the PNM.
03:14The PNM's general secretary said the appointments of the party's new chairman and vice chairman are interim in nature
03:21until the PNM summons an annual convention for its internal elections.
03:26Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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