Political evolution and change in the PNM
As the 25th anniversary of the death of Dr Eric Williams went by without much fanfare last week, it recalled the issue of political succession in the party back in 1981.
The sudden death of Dr Williams was met by a swift response from president Ellis Clarke, who appointed Mr George Chambers (one of the three deputy political leaders of the PNM) as prime minister.
When President Clarke addressed the nation early the following morning, he had ensured that the ship of state was stable in its transition, and he was confident that, under the constitution, a majority of the members of the House of Representatives would support his choice of prime minister.
There has been considerable controversy about the events of that night when political succession was arranged.
Both of the other possible contenders for the post of prime minister at that time are now estranged from the PNM, namely Kamaluddin Mohammed and Errol Mahabir.
The PNM celebrated its 50th anniversary recently, and there has not been much recognition for these two people who did so much for the party in its early years.
Perhaps, one of the reasons for this would have been the posture of the leadership in the post-Chambers era of putting some distance between many of the front-line members of the Williams and Chambers cabinets and themselves.
In the period after the tied election result in 2001, there seemed to be a softening of this position, as some of these people were given positions as advisers or ambassadors at a vulnerable time for the party.
However, the time for the recognition of two deputy political leaders—Kamal and Errol—who stood side by side with Dr Williams, may have passed because of the nature of the frost between them and the current political leader, Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
In 1981, when Williams died, president Clarke appointed George Chambers as prime minister, and he was subsequently confirmed as political leader of the party at a special convention.
In 1986, when George Chambers lost his seat and the PNM was cast into opposition, it was president Ellis Clarke who appointed Manning as Leader of the Opposition, ahead of Morris Marshall and Muriel Donawa-McDavidson.
Manning subsequently defeated Dr Aeneas Wills (who was not a Member of the House of Representatives) for the leadership of the party in an election at a special convention.
After the party lost the general election in 1995, because of a coalition arrangement between Basdeo Panday and ANR Robinson, Manning defeated Dr Keith Rowley in a leadership election at the annual convention in 1996.
There are some mysteries of leadership associated with the PNM over its 50-year history. Some of these are:
1. The policy change by the British Government to permit the Governor, Sir Edward Beetham, to allow Williams the luxury of naming two of the five nominated members in the Legislative Council after the 1956 general election (WJ Alexander and CA Merry), which gave the PNM a majority and allowed Williams to consolidate himself and the PNM in power.
2. The resignation and recall of Williams in 1973 as political leader, which saw the possibility of an election between Karl Hudson-Phillips and Kamaluddin Mohammed.
The showdown never materialised, as Williams reversed his decision to step down and returned to lead the party.
3. The death of Eric Williams, which saw George Chambers being chosen ahead of Errol Mahabir and Kamaluddin Mohammed as prime minister.
Former President Sir Ellis Clarke has publicly admitted that he changed his mind that night in appointing Chambers, but no one knows why he changed his mind.
legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-04-02/HamidGhany.html
>
