Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley does not feel threatened by competition for the leadership of the People's National Movement (PNM).Rowley's statement comes as vice-chairman of the party Pennelope Beckles-Robinson signalled on Sunday that it was time for a change in the party's leadership.The party announced last month the date for internal elections would be May 18.Asked whether he would be looking forward to competition, he said: "I always love competition."
Rowley was speaking to reporters yesterday during a coffee break at the 2014 Energy Conference at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Port-of-Spain.Commenting on whether the internal elections would result in fractures in the party, he said:"The party will survive any election. We have thousands of members. What an election is, is an invitation to participate. It's a selection process. It's not going to be harmful, it's going to be helpful."Referring to the December oil spills which devastated several beaches and mangrove area in the southwestern peninsula, Rowley said the party was insisting that there must be a "proper independent investigation."Petrotrin cannot be allowed to investigate itself and hide the facts of what went on there and its conduct in giving us information that is not the whole story."Rowley maintained that Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine "grossly mis-handled" the spills.