00:00Former Member of Parliament and former Minister Shemfukju Lewis says her experience at the highest levels of government,
00:08along with strong relationships at the grassroots, uniquely positioned her to refocus and strengthen the PNM in Tobago.
00:15She also addresses recent tensions involving fellow leadership candidate Kelvin Morris,
00:21saying her focus is not on the back and forth exchanges, but on moving the party forward.
00:27I'm not about mudslinging or undermining the people's national movement or airing the party's business in public.
00:36We have to be more disciplined about doing the needful towards building the party and serving our people.
00:43So even though I understand my challenger has been in communities, speaking a lot about me,
00:50saying also that I listen to the shade being thrown on the media, and I've asked my team, don't respond
00:56to that.
00:57When they go low, we go high.
01:00She says while Morris may have the support of senior party figures and bigwigs,
01:06she believes her strength lies with supporters on the ground across Tobago.
01:12As he said, he has a powerful team behind him. That's all well and good. I have the grassroots behind
01:17me.
01:17Tell me we're stronger than that. Tell me we're better than that.
01:20Kujul Lewis tells the TV6 Morning Edition that while the guidance of the party stalwarts remains important,
01:27its future depends on engaging younger members and striking the right balance between experience and renewal.
01:35We need to get off that high horse of incumbency. We've been here long enough. We've been here 70 years.
01:42We know how to do things right.
01:44People are changing. The perspectives are changing. Politics has changed. And we have to move with the times.
01:51She adds that continued division within the party risks keeping it in opposition, urging supporters to move beyond loyalty to
02:00individual leaders and focus instead on unity and the future direction of the PNM.
02:05So we have to develop that trust inside first before you can expect the same workers who you haven't treated
02:13well to go out there and walk and spread the gospel of the PNM.
02:16Now we have to treat people with respect and with a sense of dignity and decency.
02:24Nicola M. Romany, TV6 News.
Comments