The PNM's Youth League must stand behind the PNM executive and recruitment of youths must be its first priority, PNM leader Keith Rowley said yesterday. Rowley delivered that mandate to PNM Youth League representatives in his address to the party unit's annual conference at City Hall, Port of Spain, yesterday. The conference coincided with the PNM's 55th anniversary which is being celebrated today.
Yesterday's conference chairman Anderson Edwards said the UNC arm of the ruling People's Partnership, which marks its first anniversary under Kamla Persad-Bissessar leadership today, is trying to use the PNM's January 24 anniversary as well. Rowley, in his address, said the PNM was preparing for Government and the clarion call must be that the Youth League stands behind PNM's executive.
In December, Rowley was the target of criticisms from a Youth League member in the press. Yesterday, he told league members that he welcomed criticisms even if it was part of a debate on policy and his leadership of the PNM. "I have no problems with that," he added. He said he would not respond publicly this time but the next time the Youth League had a "discussion" with him, he would respond publicly, he emphasised.
Rowley said the PNM must make itself credible in T&T as a worthy alternative to the current Government and ready to go the course. Urging young people to rise to their potential and to recruit new PNM Youth League members, Rowley said lack of manners and respect were among the root causes of many of today's problems. He said the current young generation took it for granted that "whatever they eating and drinking today must be provided by someone else and if it is not obtained, it is someone else's fault. "We have to change that," Rowley added.
Conference chairman Anderson said that when the PNM was in Opposition in 1986, the party saw cracks in the NAR government as early as 1987. "You're seeing the same thing today by this misguided government who think that to govern T&T all you had to do was get rid of Patrick Manning and the PNM and they're beginning to realise it's harder than that," he added. Aden Phillip (of Chaguanas East) was elected chairman of PNM's Youth League and Paul Mongalas (Toco), vicechairman.