00:00The latest development in the PNM-San Fernando East saga comes after an internal inquiry into issues within the constituency.
00:07The party's general counsel had commissioned an inquiry after concerns were raised by both MP Brian Manning and constituency chair
00:16Patricia Alexis,
00:17with the resulting report now informing the next steps.
00:22Against that backdrop, the San Fernando East constituency executive met with the party leadership yesterday.
00:29More than 20 executive members attended.
00:32In a statement from executive chair Alexis, it reads,
00:36The executive has decided in the best interests of the party and for the continued orderly function of the constituency
00:42to resign effective 4 p.m. today.
00:46Manning was invited to the meeting but did not attend and therefore did not participate in discussions.
00:52The executive says its resignation is intended to allow the National Party to establish interim arrangements,
01:00supervise party group elections and pave the way for a new constituency executive to be elected.
01:06The move follows a period of increasingly public friction.
01:11Manning raised concerns about governance within the constituency and call for greater transparency and independent oversight.
01:18The release from Alexis reads,
01:20This resignation should therefore not be interpreted as an abandonment of either the party or the constituency.
01:28It's a deliberate decision to facilitate the orderly reconstitution of the constituency.
01:33The outgoing executive says it will cooperate with the transition and provide documents and information required for a verification exercise
01:43arising from the inquiry's recommendations.
01:46Alexis will also not seek re-election as constituency chairman.
01:51The statement, however, makes clear that the outgoing members are not walking away from the PNM.
01:58The statement reads,
02:05The executive also sought to clarify that serving at constituency and a national level simultaneously is not prohibited by the
02:13party's constitution.
02:14That clarification comes amid Manning's earlier concerns about Alexis holding multiple senior PNM positions.
02:23The PNM now faces the task of managing the transition while rebuilding its constituency structure ahead of new elections.
02:31And the political stakes remain high.
02:34San Fernando East has remained a stronghold of the PNM,
02:37with Manning retaining the seat after recount in the 2025 general election.
02:43The party will now have to oversee the reconstitution of its constituency executive
02:47while attempting to contain the internal divisions that have dominated political spotlight in recent weeks.
02:54Arvishita Wari, Rupanarayan, TV6 News.
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