Thirty-seven out of 41 candidates have been selected by the People’s National Movement to represent the party in the upcoming General Elections.
Drumming, chanting, and cheering filled the air outside Balisier House on Monday as the party conducted screening for four constituencies: Port of Spain North/St. Ann’s West, Port of Spain South, Malabar/Mausica, and Cumuto/Manzanilla.
Member of Parliament, Stuart Young, was announced as the successful candidate for Port of Spain North/St. Ann’s West. He said he is ready to continue the work for the residents of the area.
“I am happy to be offered the opportunity to work once again to serve Trinidad and Tobago by the best constituency in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain North/St. Ann’s West, and I look forward, with the support of my constituency, to serving all of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago as we go forward to win the next General Election and to return the PNM to power and to governance. And one thing you can count on is we will do our best and we will always do what is right.”
Member of Parliament Keith Scotland was also given the nod by the Screening Committee to represent Port of Spain South. He spoke on his plans to foster peace and unity in the constituency by facilitating community activities.
“I’ve started a new term already, you know, in order to bring the community together and have some community activity and bring a sense of solidarity and oneness because if we are one, we will not kill each other. To have reporters tell us that we are riddled with crime. We are not riddled with crime, Port of Spain South. But the message is out there so we need to turn that self-fulfilling prophecy over.”
There were seven nominees screened for the Malabar/Mausica constituency, formally D’Abadie/O’Meara. This is the second set of screenings for the party following the death of MP Lisa Morris-Julian, who was successful when she was screened in 2024. Influencer and Financial Advisor Dominic Romain emerged the successful candidate. Born and raised in the constituency, the 44-year-old is confident that he can represent the people of the area.
“The former MP and I were fairly good friends for the short period of time that we would have known each other, and I only hope that I would be able to pick up the mantle that would have been left with her unfortunate passing. So I intend to work as hard as I can and as hard as she would have done to make D’Abadie/O’Meara, now Malabar/Mausica, the constituency that it truly can be.”
There were no candidates selected for the Cumuto/Manzanilla constituency, and following screening, Prime Minister and Political Leader Dr. Keith Rowley said the constituency will go back to the drawing board.
“We don’t reject people. If those who have come, we are not satisfied that we’ve got the kind of candidate that the constituency would be best served by, we ask them to look a little further and give them a little more time so they will come back again in a couple of weeks.”
Dr. Rowley assured that screening for the remaining constituencies will be concluded by September. These are Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin North East, Diego Martin West, and Cumuto/Manzanilla.