So he had even more—possibly several thousand—reasons to break out into a full jump among the PNM “red-painted” Harris Promenade on Tuesday night.
If PNM leader Keith Rowley had broken into a “sorta” chip on stage following last week’s large Arima PNM meeting, then Tuesday’s huge San Fernando gathering would certainly have been more than enough for him to do the dance, full blown and with joy, as he did at meeting’s end. To Peter Lewis’ infectious music and other beats, he jog-jumped small distances in between other members on stage, working his arms and forearms to the beat and handclapping in between.
Even PNM chairman Franklin Khan, who often boasts of large numbers at meetings, seemed awed by the turnout. He expressed amazement that while he usually says PNM was “ready,” the absolute readiness demonstrated at Tuesday’s meeting blew him away.
The impressively huge showing at PNM’s south-central regional launch, five Sundays away from the September 7 general election (as San Fernando West candidate Faris Al-Rawi put it), gave the PNM the appearance of a confirmed edge over its competing PP rival.
The latter is still to produce a San Fernando West candidate (as Al-Rawi pointed out) among others and to “come out” with outdoor meetings as the PNM has in the last week. Displayed to full advantage by boom camera and overhead photography shots, the length of the promenade glowed red on Tuesday.
The PNM’s platform in reply to UNC’s “Kamla 2015” was dubbed “PNM 2015” with the name “Rowley” being threaded through an adjoining moving ticker tape. It was debateable whether the second, was a concession of sorts, perhaps, to mixed stocks the leadership might still elicit in some quarters.
In fact PNM chairman Franklin Khan described Al-Rawi as the “face and voice of the PNM for the last five years.” From the line-up of south-central candidates presented, the PNM’s 2015 offering has also attempted to make a broader pitch beyond the traditional in synch with Al-Rawi being its new “face and voice” over the term.
If so, that face appeared to have captured the support of some members of San Fernando West COP represented in Tuesday’s sea of red. “Take everything they give you! Take the T-shirts, take the money, take the promises (give nothing), vote PNM!” Al-Rawi thundered.
After the acerbic tones PNM presented at the Arima meeting, the San Fernando line was slightly less raw but still blistering on the PP and regardless of who was touted as the party’s face, Rowley made it clear to the South promenade who was really in charge and might be ahead. Khan, as he usually does, announced Rowley as the “next Prime Minister. Even PNM’s new theme music for his entry, a more solemn fanfare type beat, appeared to hint at what the PNM expects after September 7.
Dressed in full-blown PNM red, Rowley underscored what he believed the situation will be: “Madame, your term is up, you have made enough damage.” As for the proposed Caribbean New Media group (CNMG) July 30 debate: “I not going!” he declared, furrowing his brow in annoyance. Rowley’s main platform fodder extended to the issue du jour, the Dana Seetahal issue, the murder accused charged and their Carapo location, seeking to link it with the PP’s ill-fated LifeSport programme.
“This election, the choice will be the easiest ever,” Rowley remarked as the meeting’s climax before he started dancing.