PNM begins screening this week

Contacted yesterday, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford indicated that so far “nothing has changed” to suggest that Rowley will not be able to chair Wednesday’s screening exercise.

As political leader, Rowley is the chairman of the PNM’s screening committee.

Rowley, who left the country on August 4 to take a vacation in California and have some medical examinations done at a clinic there, is due to return home today.

Ford indicated that between today and tomorrow, he will be speaking with PNM chairman Franklin Khan and Rowley regarding the screening exercise scheduled.

He explained that under the PNM’s revised constitution, the screening committee can continue to sit, even if the political leader is absent. Under Rowley, the party’s constitution was amended to remove the political leader’s veto as the chair of the screening committee.

Ford said if the political leader cannot chair the committee, that role is handled by the party chairman.

Wednesday’s screening will involve persons seeking to become candidates for the Arima Borough and Diego Martin Regional Corporations, which are both controlled by the PNM. On Thursday, nominees for the San Fernando City and Point Fortin Borough Corporations will be screened at the PNM’s South Regional Office on Navet Road, San Fernando.

On Friday, persons will be screened as candidates for the Tunapuna/Piarco and San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporations at Baliser House.

Screening continued on August 22, for persons for the Chaguanas Borough and Sangre Grander Regional Corporations at Balisier House.

On August 24, nominees for the Princes Town, Mayaro/Rio Clari and Siparia Regional Corporations will be screened at the PNM’s South Regional Office.

Nominees for the Port-of- Spain City Corporation will be screened at Balisier House on August 25. The PNM is scheduled to conclude its screening on August 26, with nominees for the Penal/Debe and Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation at the South Regional Office. All screening starts at 5 pm. Rowley and Khan, who is also Rural Development and Local Government Minister, have said this year’s local government elections will be held when they are constitutionally due.

Khan is due to bring local government reform legislation to Parliament shortly after it resumes next month.

In the 2013 Local Government Elections, the PNM won eight of the 14 local government corporations in Trinidad while the United National Congress (UNC) won the other six.