Saturday 6th December 2014 Ricardo Gladiator Welch Added Newsday Story By Andre Bagoo THE WAR CONTINUES BETWEEN ROWLEY AND MANNING PARTY business is for Balisier House, People’s National Movement (PNM) political leader Dr Keith Rowley declared yesterday as he rejected yet another entreaty from San Fernando East MP Patrick Manning – the former political leader – for a meeting, this time at Parliament. The proposed meeting at the International Waterfront Centre, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, had been requested by Manning amid ongoing screening of candidates for various seats ahead of the general election due in 2015. But by the start of yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives it was clear that it was not going to take place. In a statement to reporters during the sitting, Rowley said, “There was an invitation to Mr Manning to meet at party headquarters with the national executive at its meeting which took place last Wednesday. Mr Manning ignored that invitation and, thus, the national executive was unable to benefit from his presence.” The Diego Martin West MP – who himself was successfully screened at Balisier House, the PNM’s headquarters in Port-of-Spain – continued, “Any meeting between me, in any capacity, whether political leader, Opposition Leader or parliamentary representative, and Mr Manning at Parliament is not and could never be substituted for the request of the General Secretary (Ashton Ford) at Balisier House.” “The national executive of the PNM will continue to steadfastly conduct the party’s business within the letter and spirit of the constitution of the party which governs the rights, privileges and responsibilities of every member of the movement,” Rowley concluded. In further remarks to reporters during the tea-break, Rowley said party business was for Balisier House. Asked if party business is usually done at Balisier House, Rowley affirmed, “These are party matters and we are going through our screening process and other issues of our party. It’s quite normal that we meet there and carry on discussions there.” The upbraid was a departure for Rowley who – while critical of Manning in the wake of being sacked by him in 2008 – has, as the new political leader, been careful to not overtly attack the man who once referred to Rowley as a “raging bull” and who once used the words “hooligan” and “wajang” in relation to him. Rowley has in the past only gone so far as to state that there were “mistakes” under Manning’s regime, but had softened his public utterances on the San Fernando East MP as Opposition Leader, even going so far as to adopt his signature “Vision 2020” policy, updating it to “Vision 2030”. The PNM political leader’s stance also, ironically, mirrored that adopted by Manning during his last prime ministerial tenure. When he was Prime Minister, Manning took scrupulous care to separate party business from Government: all party matters were held at Balisier House, while Cabinet matters revolved around the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, and, later, the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre at La Fantasie, St Ann’s. Manning, for his part, flung away a note sent to him by reporters during the sitting seeking his comment on Rowley’s remarks. He then turned away from the media gallery and stared intently at the Speaker’s Chair thereafter for the rest of the sitting, breaking to chat with Arouca/Maloney MP Alicia Hospedales and to engage in cross-talk. As he left just before the tea-break – as is his norm according to the Opposition Whip Marlene Mc Donald – Manning indicated to reporters that he had nothing to say. At the very start of the sitting, as he sat leisurely in the Sir Ellis Clarke Hall of the Parliament building, Manning waved away Newsday as queries about his request for a meeting were made. The former PNM political leader has been recovering from a stroke in 2012. The longest-serving MP, he has spoken only twice in the Tenth Parliament. Much of his term has been spent on leave of absence due to ill health. Prior to Rowley’s move yesterday, Manning had continued the volley of exchanges that have been playing out between both men for the last two weeks ever since the prospect of screening for San Fernando East loomed. A spokesperson last Monday said Manning would consider whether he felt able to return, a flip-flop from his previous stance that he was ready to, “ride into the sunset” and would step down after the current term. Manning’s constituency yesterday released a letter he wrote to Rowley, dated Wednesday, in which Manning appeared to dangle some kind of solution to Rowley. “Dear Dr Rowley,” Manning’s letter states. “I have not been able to receive a reply following my correspondence to you on November 26, 2014.” Manning continues, “As I had suggested then, this matter can be easily resolved. Therefore I would like to further suggest to you that in accordance with our agreement when we met on November 7, 2014, we could continue our meeting on Friday December 5 (yesterday), 2014, in the Parliament Chamber. Our meeting should last no longer than five minutes. At that time I shall give you a proposal that I am sure can resolve the issue.” In a previous letter dated November 26, Manning stated Rowley had, in the Parliament chamber, told him that the Government might call an early election and, “the time had come to ask me what I proposed to do.” Manning said he requested an appointment to meet (no location specified) but he was then “summoned” to the meeting with the party’s executive. Manning saw this as a threat of disciplinary action. The deadline for the submission of nominees for the San Fernando East seat was extended from December 1 to December 15, in the wake of a request for an extension by the constituency. Manning’s son Brian Manning, wife Hazel Manning and sister Dr Petronella Manning-Alleyne, this week all declined to respond to queries over whether Manning is fit to seek office. Petronella said, “Forget that! I don’t want to go there. I keep my professional life very separate. Don’t even call again. I won’t even answer. That is standard.” Hazel said, “You know I’m not going to go there.” Brian Manning did not immediately reply to a list of questions, one of which sought clarification on whether he would be willing to allow himself to be nominated to contest his father’s seat. Last night on his Facebook page, Manning announced he plans to seek medical advice on the state of his health from his doctors in Cuba and the United States. Manning had a malignant tumour removed from his left kidney in Cuba in 2008, and had heart surgery, also in Cuba, in 1998. After his stroke he received extensive care at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC. “I propose to seek the appropriate medical advice whereupon a determination can be made as to the state of my health. I am near the completion of arrangements to travel to Cuba for this purpose, in addition I expect a visit from my Washington based doctor during the period December 23 to December 31, who together with my local medical team will complete the evaluation,” he said in his post. Manning said he will inform his constituents of the medical results on January 2.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:20:58 +0000