The People's National Movement (PNM) leadership has made it "absolutely clear" that San Fernando East nominees who submit their papers after the December 22 deadline will not be screened.This rules out participation by incumbent San Fernando East MP Patrick Manning, who will undergo his health assessment between December 23 and 31. He was awaiting the results before giving his constituency word on whether he would be contesting, or whom he would recommend in his place.
But up to yesterday the San Fernando East office confirmed that no one had submitted a consent letter indicating they were interested in being nominated, nor had any party group sent the San Fernando East executive a copy of any nomination."So if the deadline is next Monday, San Fernando East has no nominees as of now; I don't know if this will change by Monday," San Fernando East PRO Anthony Clarke said yesterday.
The PNM leadership's statement came yesterday in a brief release from general secretary Ashton Ford, following signals from San Fernando East that nominations might not come in until early January due to the Christmas holidays. The unit recently agreed to comply with the leadership's directive to have its party groups submit nominations for the candidacy, despite its desire to have Manning assess his health and inform the unit on January 2 on whether his health would allow him to contest
After the San Fernando East executive distributed nomination forms to chairmen and secretaries of the 38 party groups on Thursday, it received feedback that officials did not anticipate nominations until early January–around the same time the unit had initially proposed.
Officials said yesterday that the PNM's constitution states that groups must have a minimum of seven days to submit nominations. After receiving the leadership's mandate to comply earlier in the week, they met party group officials on Thursday and the seven-day period began from then, they contended. They said that period would end on Christmas day, not December 22.
Manning mum
Following a T&T Guardian article which noted the constituency's situation on Thursday, Ford–who said he was going on vacation from Thursday–issued a brief statement yesterday."I wish to make it absolutely clear that the deadline for nomination of candidates for the San Fernando East constituency will close on December 22 at 4.30 pm at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain."Nominees who submit their papers after the deadline will not face the screening committee."
This means nominations will close before Manning completes his health assessment between December 23 and 31. Unless he gets his assessment and makes his decision by December 22, he will not be among the nominees.Manning had no comment yesterday on the latest development or whether he would expedite his assessment.Clarke was also uncertain if the executive might receive any consent letter or nomination copies this weekend.
"It's difficult for people to reach party group members at this time," he said.He said the constituency office, which was to closed for business yesterday, will continue to operate up to December 22 to facilitate the process. Nominations are to be sent to Balisier House with copies to the executive. PNM national executive sources said in situations where a constituency had no nominee, the screening team often sent the unit back to get nominees.