CONRAD ENILL and Martin Joseph on Monday night resigned as chairman and general secretary, respectively, of Trinidad and Tobago's Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) as the party shifted into high gear for the July 26 Local Government Election.

Meeting in a special session at Balisier House, the party’s general council mandated that screening of PNM candidates begin on June 28 for the July 26 local government elections. Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley is to be formally elected (he is unpopposed) as political leader on June 27.

The PNM will then meet in special convention in Chaguaramas on July 4 to present candidates and launch its Local Government Election campaign. Nomination day for candidates is July 5.
Addressing a news conference at Balisier House, Enill announced that the PNM will be entering the local election campaign without Joseph and himself in the party’s leadership.
Quoting from his letter of resignation which was accepted by the council, Enill said: “As chairman and national campaign manager responsible for coordinating our efforts to ensure success at the general election, I take responsibility for the result.
As a consequence therefore, I tender my resignation as chairman effective Monday June 28.”
Enill said Joseph’s resignation also takes effect from June 28 and was based on the same grounds as his and was also accepted by the General Council. Stating that the process of rebuilding the PNM begins with the Local Government Elections, Enill said: “So, very consistent with that, I thought the time was appropriate to move on.”
Stating that his last act as chairman will be to oversee Rowley’s election as PNM leader on June 27, at a party delegates convention at the Port-of-Spain City Hall, Enill said: “We have dealt with the issue of Local Government Elections. We are putting in place a new political leader and by virtue of these two resignations, the PNM will in fact have new leadership going into Local Government Elections and moving on thereafter.”
With party vice-chairman John Donaldson and assistant general secretary Rose Janniere acting as chairman and general secretary respectively from June 28, Enill said there would be continuity in the PNM’s leadership to support Rowley as he chairs the party’s screening committee to select candidates for the local government polls.
Stating that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar did what the PNM would have done had it won the general election, Enill said the party’s ground troops are already mobilised and the political environment had changed since May 24.
Speaking with reporters after the General Council meeting, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley declared: “The PNM will be contesting the local government election with all the vigour at our disposal and we will put ourselves at the disposal of the electorate.

--Newsday