Saturday, October 6th 2007

Five new people are set to be the ruling People's National Movement's candidates for the constituencies where at least three of its incumbent MPs put up a fight to contest the November 5 general election.

Members of the PNM central executive yesterday finally decided on which of the nominees screened this week will be its candidates for Diego Martin Central, Tunapuna, Point Fortin, Arouca/Maloney and Laventille East/Morvant.

The central executive met for less than two hours at the PNM's Balisier House headquarters in Port of Spain.

However, afterwards, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, the PNM political leader and screening committee chairman, offered no details as to who were the final five candidates.

"We have approved a slate of candidates which we proposed to present in Woodford Square tomorrow (today) and I invite to come and see who they are. Thank you very much, I have to go to San Fernando, I have a meeting," Manning said.

He then entered the official Prime Minister's vehicle and his motorcade immediately left Balisier House.

This was a marked difference from the interviews Manning gave to the media after the screenings that have taken place over the last two weeks, one of which lasted some 11 minutes.

The Express understands that those favoured to contest the five constituencies in question were set to be among the 41 candidates the PNM will be presenting today.

Just one day earlier, on Thursday, the PNM screening committee had approved Alicia Hospedales, a 35-year-old social worker, as the party's candidate for the Arouca/Maloney constituency.

That recommendation was expected to be approved by the central executive yesterday.

Businesswoman Paula Gopee, a Westmoorings resident, was also expected to be approved by the central executive as the PNM's Point Fortin candidate, after being approved by the screening committee on Tuesday.

Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) Caribbean executive Esther Le Gendre was also set to be given the nod by the PNM central executive to be the candidate for Tunapuna upon the recommendation of the screening committee on Tuesday.

As of yesterday, the Express received no word as to whether the PNM Laventille East/Morvant constituency was officially informed as to whether Donna Cox was its candidate after yesterday's meeting.

Cox was favoured to be the constituency's candidate after she was screened on Tuesday.

As for the PNM's grand presentation of candidates today, several trucks with jerseys and placards bearing the names of some candidates arrived at Balisier House last night.

One person, however, bemoaned that the jerseys he received for his constituency had "no print on it".