31 candidates in THA Election

A TOTAL of 31 candidates, including four Independents, yesterday filed nomination papers to contest the 12 seats at stake in the January 17 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election. The Independent candidates include incumbent PNM Assemblyman Anthony Arnold who will contest in the Scarborough/Calder Hall electoral district; Rolly Quaccoo, a potential PNM candidate who did not get the nod of the PNM Screening Committee, who will contest the Canaan/Bon Accord seat; Jonathan “Stone Cold” Stone, a former NAR Tobago PRO, for the Lambeau/Signal Hill district; and Barrington Thomas Jr, also called “Skippy,” a United National Congress (UNC) Tobago activist, who will contest Lambeau/Signal Hill.

Meanwhile, in a surprise move, NAR Tobago, which had been engaged in protracted talks with the Democratic Action Congress (DAC) to forge an alliance to contest the polls, will only field three candidates in the election, according to the nomination papers filed at the close of nomination yesterday. They are NAR Tobago chairman and acting Political Leader Christo Gift (Providence/Mason Hall/Moriah); Natasha Second (Roxborough/Delaford); and Jason Nancis (Belle Garden/Goodwood). Both the ruling PNM and the DAC will field a full slate of candidates. The DAC’s candidates are: Hochoy Charles (Plymouth/Golden Lane); Cecil Caruth (Roxborough/Delaford); Ashworth Jack (Providence/Mason Hall/Moriah); Judy Bobb (Scarborough/Calder Hall); George Archer (Canaan/Bon Accord); Barry Nelson (Lambeau/Signal Hill); Anthony Christmas (Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside); Tracey Tobias (Belle Garden/Goodwood); George Graham (Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden); Terrence Holmes (Buccoo/Mt Pleasant); Orville Jordan (Bacolet/Mt St George) and Harrisford McMillan (Bethel/Mt Irvine).

The PNM’s candidates include Orville London (Scarborough/Calder Hall); Frank Roberts (Canaan/Bon Accord); Cynthia Alfred (Bacolet/Mt St George); Oswald Williams (Lambeau/Signal Hill); Albert Pilgrim (Buccoo/Mt Pleasant); Whithney Alfred (Bethel/Mt Irvine); Claudia Groomes-Duke (Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden); Godwin “Chief” Adams (Plymouth/Golden Lane); Rennison Quashie (Providence/Mason Hall/Moriah); Wendell Berkely (Belle Garden/Goodwood); Hilton Sandy (Roxborough/Delaford); and Aldington Spencer (Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside).