Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has invited Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and a “small team” from the Opposition to a meeting to discuss nominations for the election of a new President for T&T.
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Office of the Attorney General Stuart Young wrote to Persad-Bissessar yesterday inviting her and a small team to meet with the Prime Minister and a small government team at ten o’clock on Friday at the Diplomatic Centre.
In the letter which was sent to the media, Young told Persad-Bissessar, “I also called you to extend an invitation and to ask that should you have any name(s) you would like us to consider that you provide the name(s) as soon as possible in advance of Friday’s meeting so that we may consider same.”
Persad-Bissessar did not respond to calls to her mobile phone, but Deputy Political Leader of the UNC David Lee told the T&T Guardian that the UNC’s parliamentary caucus will meet today “to discuss that process.”
The party’s national executive will also meet to discuss the way forward.
Asked whether the party will submit a nominee, Lee responded: “I could not say. Discussions have to take place first.”
Some UNC MPs are advocating that the UNC should not submit any name for the Presidency. One of the two nominees first touted by party officials as the UNC pick, former diplomat and head of the public service Reginald Dumas has since indicated he is not interested in the position.
In a letter to the editor shortly after his name was published as a possible candidate, Dumas wrote “Our non-executive president, whoever he or she may be, is our citizen number one, whose election should not, in my view, be the subject of party political machinations and, consequently, of the very fissures that more and more afflict us.”
Dumas proposed that “instead of yet another adversarial scenario to have the three components of the Electoral College—Government, Opposition and Independents—consult as many members of the public as possible in the short time remaining, then sit together in advance of the election and agree on a single person.”
Another name put in the public domain by UNC officials was that of former Industrial court judge Gladys Gafoor.
Sources also told the T&T Guardian the PNM’s pick for the post is retired Caribbean Court of Justice judge Rolston Nelson. But party sources told the Guardian yesterday that other names are being considered.
MPs began receiving letters today informing them of the meeting of the Electoral College. The Government and the Opposition have until January 10 to submit nominations.
ABOUT THE PROCESS
On December 18, presiding officer of the Electoral College, Speaker of the House of Representatives Bridgid Annisette-George started the process for the election of the President writing to both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader indicating that she had set January 19, as the date for the election of the President.
Under the Constitution, the President is elected by the Electoral College voting by secret ballot. Ten Senators, the Speaker and 12 other Members of the House of Representatives constitute a quorum of the Electoral College.
Once elected by the Electoral College the President holds office for a term of five years. President Anthony Carmona was elected on February 15, 2013, and was appointed to the office on March 18, 2013.
His term of office ends on March 19. Under the Constitution, an election must be held no sooner than January 18, and no later than February 19.