The PNM has selected former CEO at the Arima Borough Corporation Merlyn Joan Calliste as its candidate for Malabar South in the December 5 local government by-election. Nomination Day is November 16.
She was chosen over five other nominees, according to party secretary Ashton Ford.
PNM political leader and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley chaired the proceedings at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday evening.
The by-election was called for Malabar South (Arima Borough Corporation) and Auzonville/Tunapuna (Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation) after the respective councillors, Anthony Garcia and Esmond Forde, successfully contested the September 7 General Election. Garcia is now the education minister while Forde is the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
Among the other nominees for Malabar South were Ronald Pereira, Emma Derrick and Joseph Brewster.
Ford said Calliste, a former student of Bishop’s High School, was a community worker who was well qualified for the job.
With respect to Auzonville/Tunapuna, Ford said three prospective candidates were nominated and interviewed but they were found unsuitable.
They were Ayanika Nurse Carrington, senior lecturer in sociology at Costaatt; Haile Bramble, employee of the Ministry of Agriculture; and Monifa Asha Smith, employed in the Judiciary.
Ford said the Tunapuna constituency executive was told to seek new nominees to be screened on Friday at the same venue, Balisier House. Khan said the polls would not be affected by any plans in progress to reform the local government system in Trinidad.
The UNC is yet to name its candidates for the polls.
And in a release issued yesterday, it said the party leadership approved three people to fill existing vacancies for the post of deputy mayor at the Arima Corporation and vice chairmen at Tunapuna/Piarco and Diego Martin Regional Corporations.
A release issued by the PNM also said Rowley had honoured his pledge to deposit his first month’s salary to the party’s Building Fund. It said the details of the initiative would be released in due course.