Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s Conversations with the Prime Minister will resume on September 13 in Tunapuna, after Rowley returns to the country from medical leave.
People’s National Movement chairman Franklin Khan announced this yesterday during the press conference following the party’s monthly general council meeting at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain.
Khan said it was also expected that a one-day open forum discussion between Government, the trade unions and the business community will also take place in September.
Rowley is expected to go on medical leave on September 1 and return on September 11.
Khan said the general council was updated by Rowley on his meeting with trade union movement last week, where a one-day, open forum discussion was discussed. He said the forum would be televised live for the national public.
The forum, Khan said, would look at the tripartite view and the positions of the Government, trade union and business community could be articulated and proposed solutions looked at.
“The Government will outline the state of affairs, the nation’s finances and other challenges the Government faces, what their plans are going forward, and what we see the solutions are and what we want the population to share with us,” Khan said.
“The trade union movement and the business community will be given that opportunity to do the same, so there are no closed door sessions. We think it is a good thing for the democracy.”
Asked whether the public will be allowed to participate in the session, Legal Affairs Minister Stuart Young said the they were still refining the public participation component.
Coordinators appointed
Khan also announced that the party’s 45th annual convention will take place on November 12 and said the general council yesterday approved the appointment of 15 constituency coordinators to mirror the role of MPs in the constituencies which the PNM did not win in the 2015 elections.
The party is currently holding party group and constituency group elections in all 41 constituencies, he said.
“The party has a system of coordinators. We have 23 sitting MPs and where we don’t have MPs, we appoint coordinators to mirror the work of MPs in the context of the party structure. There are 18 UNC constituencies and we have approved 15 people today by general council to be constituency coordinators.”
The general council also approved the appointment of assistant general secretary Daniel Dookie to take up the role of general secretary, replacing Ashton Ford who resigned earlier this year, until election for that position is held next year.
PNM’s constituency coordinators
Barataria/San Juan - Alderman Anthony Roberts
Caroni East - Camille Robinson-Regis
Caroni Central - Senator Avinash Singh
Chaguanas West - Roland Gokool
Chaguanas East - Senator Paula Gopee-Scoon
Couva South - Darian Marcelle
Cumuto/Manzanilla - Clifford Campbell
Mayaro - Senator Clarence Rambharat
Naparima - Don Waithe
Oropouche West - Senator Kazim Hoseinguardian
Pointe-a-Pierre - Romney Thomas
Princes Town - Senator Daniel Dookie
Siparia - Joan Yuille-Williams
St Augustine - Indar Parasram