00:00A veteran member of the People's National Movement is warning that the party is in serious trouble,
00:06accusing its leadership of failing to address internal problems and becoming increasingly disconnected from its membership.
00:13Ashton Ford is also weighing in on the controversy surrounding San Fernando East MP Brian Manning.
00:19A senior PNM stalwart is breaking ranks with the party's leadership claiming internal problems are being allowed to fester
00:27and that members are now being forced to take their concerns into the public domain.
00:33Ashton Ford says the controversy involving Brian Manning is symptomatic of a wider problem within the movement.
00:40He references the issue of Arima Mayor Balaram Maharaj being allowed to continue in office
00:45after attending several UNC party events since they assumed office in 2025.
00:51And while they allow Mr. Maraj to continue to function as mayor, they come in after Brian.
00:59And I find it strange that they come in after Brian in a way unprecedented in the PNM
01:07because they are allowing the chairman of the constituency, who is your assistant general secretary,
01:15to run the show in the constituency.
01:18And therefore, the constituency is almost non-functional because the party groups are not meeting.
01:25Ford says the situation is affecting the functioning of constituencies
01:29and points to what he describes as a breakdown in the party's traditional mechanism for resolving internal disputes.
01:35He says that failure is also why more PNM members are now speaking publicly.
01:41But on the whole, the PNM is in a state of heading to disaster under the leadership of Penelope.
01:51All the, most of the constituencies are not in this way.
01:56People are saying, why we are talking out now in the open,
02:00and we used to wash our details in public.
02:05And the reason for that is simple.
02:09We used to attend to the matters when matters came up.
02:12Right.
02:14But now, these people, Penny Bepos and Foster families, are not attending to matters.
02:20So people are speaking out.
02:21Ford is also critical of the party's handling of concerns previously raised about Arima Mayor Balaram Maharaj.
02:29He says despite assurances the matter would be addressed internally,
02:32he has heard nothing from the leadership.
02:35They never deleted.
02:36Remember at a press conference, he said they would call me in to talk to me.
02:40The leadership would call me in to talk to me and I think.
02:42But I would think.
02:43They never called me.
02:45They never, they never, but.
02:46And that is the point.
02:48They are lying to the people and they are doing things in an underhand manner.
02:53Ford is accusing the leadership of operating without sufficient openness
02:57and says the lack of communication is fueling frustration among party members.
03:02The veteran party member who says he has been a PNM member since 1968
03:07is also challenging political leader Penny Beckles to become more accessible
03:12and more directly engaged with the party's grassroots.
03:16And that is the issue with the PNM right now.
03:19They are keeping secrets, running things as if it's a private club
03:24and having people really frustrated, you know.
03:46Ford says the political leader also needs to be more visible in dealing with issues affecting
03:52the party at home rather than focusing too heavily on external engagements.
03:58And he warns that continued silence could have serious political consequences.
04:03Ford ultimately links the Brian Manning controversy to what he describes
04:07as a broader lack of transparency within the party.
04:10The PNM, meanwhile, says the San Fernando East matter has already gone through
04:14an internal inquiry process and that action is being taken on recommendations made by that team.
04:21The party has also cautioned members against publicly ventilating matters
04:26that are before its internal structures.
04:29Ford says the leadership must restore confidence among the members
04:33by being more transparent, responsive and engaged with constituencies.
04:38Ravishita Wari Rupnarein, TV6 News.
04:41The TV6 People Meter, brought to you by XL Health TT, the official supplements of the CPS.
04:49Tonight, we're asking you, do you agree with veteran PNM Ashton Ford
04:53that the party is in serious trouble?
04:55To vote, text us or no to the number 766-4886 or 766-4886.
05:01We'll have the results for you at the end of this newscast.
05:05Still don't know.
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