Manick says procedure to select mayor wrong

Manick, who retained the Felicity/ Endeavour electoral district following the November 28 Local Government election for the Opposition United National Congress (UNC), did not attend the swearing-in ceremony in which incumbent Mayor, Gopaul Boodhan, was elected for a second term while Charlieville councillor, Faaiq Mohammed, was elected as deputy mayor. In a telephone interview yesterday, Manick recalled that five minutes before the ceremony, the councillors were handed envelopes containing instructions from the party.

“They asked us to come at a particular time and, five minutes before, we were asked to open these envelopes and see the contents,” Manick said. Lo and behold we saw positions. I was offered the position of deputy mayor and Mr Boodhan was selected to be mayor of the Chaguanas Borough for a second term.

“I had no problem with that at all, but when I came out of the room, we had a lot of people who came from the Chaguanas Borough, the burgesses, they came and they asked me what is the situation? I said I was offered the position of deputy mayor and I am going into the swearing-in now.”