Leadership, resignation, succession

THE EDITOR: An understanding of current developments with respect to a change in the leadership of the PNM has to be viewed in the context of the political culture of TT, which greatly favours incumbent leaders and acquiesces in their machinations.

Leaders are generally regarded with extraordinary deference, sometimes with awe, reverence and messianic purpose by their supporters, which, together with the exercise of patronage and favours, provide them with enormous power over the party, including effective influence over succession.

Then there is the receptivity to the propaganda that those with views different from that of the leader are agents of the opposition bent on creating confusion and instability in order to undermine the party and reduce its chances of retaining or regaining power. As a result, a campaign of vilification, if not demonisation, is embarked upon.

In the PNM, it was the experience, at various times, of ANR Robinson, Karl Hudson-Phillips, Keith Rowley and Penelope Beckles. In the UNC, three of us opposed to corruption and autocracy suffered a similar fate.

Only recently, the accusation of collaboration with the PNM was revived by a Kamla Persad-Bissessar sycophant in which I was accused of endorsing a letter to the president in support of Patrick Manning to be appointed prime minister, of which I am unaware.

Persad-Bissessar was herself condemned and abused for challenging Basdeo Panday in 2010, and lately five so-called dissident MPs have been stigmatised and ostracised.

Some leaders are intoxicated with the adoration, adulation, fealty and homage bestowed upon them by their supporters. Propelled by their own sense of mission and indispensability, they assume a divine right to exercise power and a proprietary control of the affairs of the party they lead not only in the present, but for the future. It all stimulates the hubris of the political leaders.

As a consequence, voluntary resignation is an exception rather than the rule, regardless of the circumstances faced by them. Dr Eric Williams died in office after 25 years at the helm of his party and government. George Chambers and Patrick Manning were forced to demit leadership after humiliating losses at the polls. Basdeo Panday had to be roundly defeated in internal party elections to be prized out of leadership in admittedly unique circumstances.

Resignations after losing elections have not been been the norm in TT. Many leaders cling to leadership even after their loss in general elections, eg Panday in 1981, 1991, 2001, 2002 and 2007: Robinson in 1991; Manning in 1995, and Kamla Persad-Bissessar in 2015 and 2020.

Leaders are prone to manipulate party processes and membership sentiment to influence succession, either by identifying their own nominees for leadership or by denying aspirants whom they do not favour.

Williams arranged to rescind his voluntary resignation in 1973 and resumed leadership after it was clear that the party would choose Karl Hudson- Phillips as his successor, to whom he was opposed.

Panday supported Carlos John, newcomer and Lawrence Duprey’s point man, to be deputy leader (with the prospect for being installed as future leader) in the UNC’s internal election in 2001.

When John was defeated by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj for the post, Panday proceeded to use his power as political leader to undermine and scuttle the operations of the newly elected national executive in order to thwart the leadership ambitions of Ramesh, who was now perceived as an antagonist.

Now Rowley has proceeded on an excursion of his own by sponsoring Stuart Young as prime minister to succeed him after the date of his resignation, yet to be announced. There is to be no prior national leadership convention of the party in order to give the membership an opportunity to decide on their choice of leader.

With Young installed as prime minister it would leave the party membership with little option but to confirm him as political leader at a subsequent convention with impending national elections.

The fear of the perception of disunity and possible loss of power will have a galvanising effect on the rank and file and they will acquiesce. A coup of sorts will be accomplished.

While the PNM reluctantly embraces a non-Afro-Trinidadian as leader, the time for the elevation of a female to that position is not on the foreseeable horizon. Penelope Beckles’s time has come and gone.

TREVOR SUDAMA

San Fernando

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