The entire executive of the People’s National Movement’s San Fernando East constituency has resigned amid ongoing internal tensions.The resignation took effect at 4 p.m. yesterday, according to a statement by constituency chairman Patricia Alexis on behalf of the executive.The decision followed a meeting on Sunday between PNM leadership and more than 20 members of the San Fernando East Constituency Executive.The meeting addressed continuing issues within the constituency and the report arising from an enquiry commissioned by the PNM General Council.San Fernando East MP Brian Manning was invited to the meeting but did not attend and therefore did not participate in the discussions, the statement said.The executive said its decision was made “in the best interest of the party and for the continued orderly functioning of the constituency”.It said the resignation would allow the party’s leadership and National Executive to put interim arrangements in place, supervise party group elections and facilitate the democratic election of a new constituency executive.The outgoing executive also committed to co-operating with the transition and with a verification exercise arising from the recommendations of the enquiry, including providing documents and information required.Alexis has also said she will not seek re-election as chairman.The move comes days after former government minister Hazel Manning offered herself for the position, saying she was doing so in the interest of restoring peace to the constituency.In a statement on Saturday, Manning said she had been receiving phone calls and had observed “the escalating turmoil and overwhelming concerns by the people of San Fernando East, regarding the conduct, reputation and business of some who represent us”.“Given the circumstances and following countless phone calls, in the interest of bringing peace to the constituency, tonight I formally agree to offer myself to serve in the position of chairman of the San Fernando East constituency,” she said.Manning described San Fernando East as a “symbolic seat” not only because of the legacy of her late husband, former prime minister Patrick Manning, and the Manning family, but also because of its importance to the PNM.“For decades I watched my husband, and now my son Brian Manning, walk every street, take note of every issue and make sacrifices to try to reach and represent every constituent,” she said. “I appreciate each of you. Let us work together to repair, recover and rebuild.”Gonzales at a news conference yesterday said he was not surprised by the resignations based on a meeting held with the constituency executive on Sunday.“As a matter of fact many of them complained that they were receiving calls and threats to tender their resignations. And their families were encouraging them not to continue to operate in a very hostile environment like that. I tried to use my persuasion as the chairman of the party to encourage them not to bow to hostilities, external hostilities, threats, intimidation, and that they have done well to keep...the San Fernando East corner of the PNM for all of the years that we have been having elections in Trinidad and Tobago. I took the opportunity, the leadership took the opportunity, to thank each and every one of them,” he said.He continued: “But we observed that the situation in San Fernando East has been taking a toll on each and every one of them. So hearing the resignation, early on today (yesterday) I was not surprised because I felt their pain and I felt their disappointment last night.”No abandonment of party The dispute within San Fernando East escalated after Brian Manning publicly raised concerns about the constituency executive and Alexis.PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales subsequently warned party members against engaging in public exchanges, while saying the concerns raised by Manning were being addressed by the party leadership.Despite that warning, the constituency executive later issued a public response.The executive said its resignation should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the PNM or San Fernando East.It said its members had served the party and constituency for many years and under successive representatives and remained proud of their contribution to keeping San Fernando East within the PNM through successive general elections.“This resignation should therefore not be interpreted as an abandonment of either the party or the constituency,” the statement said. “It is a deliberate decision to facilitate the orderly reconstitution of the constituency and, ultimately, to allow the membership to determine its leadership through the democratic processes of the party.”The executive also reaffirmed its support for PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles and the party’s leadership.Alexis said while individual members of the outgoing executive would decide whether to offer themselves for service in the new executive, she would not be seeking another term as chairman.The development leaves the PNM to determine the interim arrangements for San Fernando East before new constituency elections are held.Hazel Manning, who was a PNM senator and government minister, is the widow of Patrick Manning, who represented San Fernando East from 1971 to 2015. Their son Brian has represented the constituency since winning the seat for the PNM in the 2020 general election.