Chaguanas selects Mayor July 25

THE Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC) will appoint its next mayor and deputy mayor during a ceremony at CBC headquarters on Friday July 25 at 10 am. The new councillors for the CBC will be sworn in at the same venue on Wednesday July 23 at 10 am. When contacted yesterday, incumbent mayor Orlando Nagessar declined to say whether he would be serving a second term. Nagessar told Newsday that decision lay in the hands of the United National Congress’ (UNC) leadership. Prior to Monday’s elections, reports surfaced about Nagessar being replaced as mayor by Suruj Rambachan, a former ambassador under the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). UNC Chairman Wade Mark dismissed the reports as “mischievous”.

As part of their accommodation for Monday’s polls, the UNC agreed to appoint one NAR alderman in each of the corporations it won. Questions about the future of the UNC-NAR accommodation were raised following the UNC’s loss to the People’s National Movement (PNM), with UNC leader Basdeo Panday hinting that the accommodation may not have had the desired effect it was intended to. NAR Political Leader Lennox Sankersingh has been walking a political tightrope with the party’s Tobago arm for renewing ties with the UNC. Nagessar also indicated that concerns the UNC had about alleged activities being carried out by the PNM during Monday’s elections are currently being dealt with by the party.  The PNM won three of the CBC’s eight seats in Monday’s elections.