Pennelope Beckles Becomes First Woman To Lead PNM In Opposition

“There would not be a policy of obstructing for the case of obstructing.” That’s the statement made by the new Opposition Leader of Trinidad and Tobago, Pennelope Beckles, after being unanimously chosen by the People’s National Movement’s General Council meeting on Wednesday evening. Mrs. Beckles-Robinson is the first woman Opposition Leader of the People’s National Movement. Her appointment to the post was announced by the party’s General Secretary, Foster Cummings, on Wednesday evening. "The General Council has agreed that the Member of Parliament who will fill the role of Leader of the Opposition will be the MP for the Constituency of Arima, the Honourable Pennelope Beckles-Robinson." Mrs. Beckles-Robinson shared what would be her first focus in her new role. "The first thing would be to meet with my Members of Parliament as well as the Senators appointed, look at a post-mortem, you know, basically of the elections. You know, there are two younger members, Christian Birchwood as well as Kareem Marcelle, but there is a very experienced team, I mean, with Minister Imbert, I have been in the Parliament for quite a long time, so there is an experienced team and it's a question of ensuring that we give the best support and guidance to our two colleagues, our two new colleagues, and as well as the six Senators." As it relates to the Parliament, she said the Opposition intends to be a "responsible" one. "You would have seen during our term in office, there were several pieces of legislation that the then opposition objected to. I mean, even long before you even had the debate, I mean, they indicated that they wouldn't support. I mean, we intend to be a responsible opposition, and responsible means that, you know, where pieces of legislation brought before the Parliament." Before the General Council Meeting, TTT News caught up with the party’s former Deputy Political Leader, Rohan Sinanan, who explained why he submitted his resignation on Wednesday. " Wasn’t I supposed to? If the political leader has sent a resignation letter, and the political leader appointed me, following what is a principled stand, I am supposed to send in my resignation, right? So it’s a principled stand." And former Minister of Rural and Local Government, Faris Al-Rawi also expressed his views on the matter. "Expected, this is what happens, we had the anomaly of a Prime Minister resigning, and not resigning as a Political Leader, and you know I had a lot to say about that. So this is par for the course. There will be a lot of national reflection and engineering, it was a social and political and social experiment." Ms Beckles-Robinson also addressed supporters outside of Balisier House, following her announcement of the post. "But I just want to say to the people gathered here today that we have had times when the PNM was in opposition. What is important is that we have always returned to." Trinidad and Tobago now has, for the first time in its history, a President, Prime Minister, and Opposition Leader, who are all women.