Much is being made by Parliamentarians and Opposition supporters out of the Opposition Leader's decision to remove Senators Penelope Beckles and Fitzgerald Hinds from the Senate and replace them with "neophytes". For some it is seen as a sign of disrespect while others view it as Dr. Rowley's strategy to diminish the threat to his leadership as Party Elections draw near as well as the looming General Elections due in 2015.
Will Mrs. Beckles-Robinson disappear like the dodo bird or will she rise again from the ashes like the mythical Phoenix is a question on everyone's lips- except perhaps mine.
I was unaware that anyone held a monopoly on a seat in the Senate and certainly Mrs. Beckles-Robinson is not the first politician to be removed from a senior position, and one just has to go back in time to Karl Hudson-Phillip who was unceremoniously thrown out by Dr. Eric Williams. His Organisation for National Reconstruction (ONR) was roundly rejected in the George Chambers "Not a damn seat for them" historical victory of 1981 where the ONR literally got no seats despite having the second highest amount of votes at that General Election.
Mrs. Beckles-Robinson is now being chastised for being present at a UNC fund-raising held by Dr. Roodal Moonilal by no less a person than the PNM's General Secretary and several of the members who favor Dr. Rowley, but who is on record as saying that he will willingly step down so others can have a chance at the leadership, even him.
So what then is the problem? The way I see it, is that the issue is being blown out of all proportion as the PNM members see a threat to their chances of victory in 2015, while the People's Partnership Government predictably see this as a way of creating a rift between both factions, i.e. those who support Dr. Rowley and those who support Mrs. Beckles-Robinson.
Will this result in a rejection of Dr.Rowley's PNM and will Mrs. Beckles-Robinson and Fitzgerald Hinds be returned as Candidates for the General Elections? Wisdom says they should, but since when has wisdom ever played a part in any Elections?
Well the PNMs internal Elections has come and gone and the records will show that as expected Dr.Rowley's team had no contest from Mrs. Beckles- Robinson's factor. On now to the General Elections of 2015 which I'm sure will not be called before regardless of any amount of external pressures being brought on the UNC Alliance. Who will emerge victorious? Only the brave will venture an opinion at this time, but a year is a very long time in politics.
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