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Minister of Finance Colm Imbert. File photo/Sureash Cholai
The results of the PNM’s internal elections will be released on Monday, incumbent party chairman Colm Imbert said on the final day of elections and the PNM’s 50th convention held at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Sunday.
A total of 14,456 participants were involved, including 175 general council attendees, 962 delegates, 356 guests and 12,963 observers.
“I haven’t heard those numbers before, even at election time,” Imbert said
At the end of the day, he said votes were still being counted.
On nomination day, October 10, all 16 positions in the PNM slate went up for grabs. Elections were held over a three-day period – November 26 and 27, and culminating in the final voting day on Sunday.
A total of 12,000 voters out of a membership of 105,894 turned out to vote over the three-day period.
A few positions were announced early as the posts only had one nomination. Camille Robinson-Regis ran for Lady Vice Chairman and Foster Cummings ran for general secretary unopposed. Faris Al-Rawi retained his position as public relations officer of the PNM without challenge.
Jeniece Scott ran for position of Youth Officer against Ndale Young, who eventually stepped down.
See also
The position for political leader, held by the Prime Minister, was challenged Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Junior Barrack and Ronald Boynes.
In November, Nunez-Tesheira unsuccessfully challenged the party by filing a lawsuit citing concerns over transparency and accountability and issues with the three-day voting period, saying it breached the party’s constitution.
She called for the election to be held in the traditional way—with voting on one day only.
Dr Rowley challenged the late Patrick Manning for the leadership of the PNM in 1997, after the party lost the 1995 general election.
When Manning stepped down as leader after the PNM’s defeat in 2010, Rowley was voted and has led the party to victory in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.
