Gail Alexander
Senior Political Reporter
Today the People’s National Movement (PNM) will screen nominees for four southern seats, including Fyzabad, whose nominees include Siparia councillor Jason Ali, who resigned from the UNC last week.
And on Monday, the PNM will screen nominees for five other seats including St Augustine, where the sole nominee is PNM Senator Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal. She unsuccessfully contested the seat in 2020 general elections, losing to UNC’s Khadijah Ameen who received more than twice the number of votes Sagramsingh-Sooklal did.
Names of nominees were yesterday posted to PNM’s social media. This follows last Thursday’s closing of nominations for nine constituencies. The PNM units in the nine areas were notified in June to start seeking general election nominees.
This evening PNM’s Screening Committee—headed by PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley—will interview nominees from the four southern areas. This will be at PNM’s San Fernando office from 5 pm.
In Fyzabad, nominees being screened are Richard Gooding, Kheron Khan, Kamaludeen Abdool Ghany and Jason Ali.
Ali who became the Siparia West/Fyzabad councillor on a UNC ticket, yesterday confirmed he would be going for screening today seeking to represent Fyzabad for the PNM in upcoming general elections. He said he would speak when the time is right.
PNM’s Fyzabad official Marilyn Tobias did not answer calls nor did official Chris Encinas. In July. PNM’s Fyzabad officials said all they had were four nominees.
However Ali resigned from the UNC via a lletter dated August 15, the deadline date for PNM nominations. Ali claimed he was being “victimised.” This was after he unsuccessfully contested UNC’s recent national executive elections on Mayaro MP Rushton Paray’s United Patriots slate.
Ali’s resignation letter stated he had no choice but to resign after “continuous victimisation” since contesting the UNC’s election. Ali claimed he was “systematically isolated from the UNC, removed from all official party WhatsApp groups and denied access to crucial information regarding party business.”
Ali said the part was more focused on serving the narrow interests of a few rather than the people’s needs. He said he would continue serving constituents even if it meant doing so outside of the UNC’s frameworks. UNC chairman DaveTancoo, among comments on the letter said that what was in Ali’s future” ... whichever side” he chose, was left to be seen.
14 others also screening today
Other nominees being screened today are in:
POINTE- A PIERRE Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce president Kiran Singh, tourism sector busienssman Mukesh Ramsingh, businessman Clyde Rambarran; former track and field star Kirdell McIntosh and coach Sherwin Joseph,
MORUGA -TABLELAND - business management expert Kerneisha Prince-King, educator Lisa Atwater, former 2023 Local Government candidate Emmanuel Pierre, administrator Geanne Graham.
MAYARO- oilfield consultant Antonio Decklan Ross, accountant Janessa Campbell, attorney Asha Hardeo-Dhanpat, businessman Bunny Sankar Mahabirsingh and medical social worker Rene McLashie-Mayers.
Two PNM Senators seek seats
On Monday screening at PNM’s Balisier House head office involves nominees for:
BARATARIA/SAN JUAN - Senate vice president Dr Muhammed Yunus Ibrahim, Social Development Minister Donna Cox, police officer Roger Mohammed and businessman Shareek Ali. San Juan councillor Sudbir Sagramsingh withdrew.
ST AUGUSTINE: PNM Senator/Minister in the Attorney General’s Ministry Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal. In 2020 general election Sagramsingh -Sooklal lost her attempt at St Augustine to UNC’s Ameen whose 11,943 votes defeated Sagramsingh-Sooklal’s 5,264.
CARONI EAST- Rajiv Moonan-Ramsaran, Leena Rampersad, Preiman Dayram, Alicia Ali.
CUMUTO-MANZANILLA- communication specialist Sabitree Singh-Saunders and procurement officer Latoya Reyes.
CHAGUANAS EAST- Minister in Works/PNM Senator Richi Sookhai. Speaking at PNM’s Caroni East’s constituency conference last weekend, Sookhai said it was “high time” there was a PNM representative in Caroni East - but it could only be done if there was unification among PNM party groups.
The nine constituencies are presently represented by Opposition MPs, who all filed nominations to contest again: St Augustine (Kadijah Ameen),Fyzabad (Dr Lackram Bodoe), PAP (David Lee), Mayaro (Rushton Paray), Cumuto-Manzanilla ( Dr Rai Ragbir), Caroni East (Dr Rishad Seeceheran), Chaguanas East (Vandana Mohit), Moruga-Tableland (Michelle Benjamin), Barataria/San Juan (Saddam Hosein).