Of the Opposition PNM candidates selected so far to contest the general election, 30 are new.
This was confirmed in a listing of the 34 candidates released by PNM general secretary Ashton Ford yesterday.
The list includes four incumbents who are part of the PNM’s 13-member parliamentary team.
Of the 13, however, only incumbents Dr Keith Rowley (PNM leader), Marlene McDonald (PNM deputy leader), Colm Imbert (PNM vice chairman) and Terrence Deyalsingh (St Joseph MP) have as yet been confirmed by the PNM’s screening team.
The status of the other members of the 13-member parliamentary team are:
•MP Donna Cox (rejected)
•MP Nileung Hypolite (rejected)
•Patricia McIntosh (announced decision not to contest)
•Joanne Thomas (decided against contesting)
•Patrick Manning (withdrew nomination)
•Paula Gopee-Scoon (withdrew nomination)
•La Brea MP Fitzgerald Jeffrey is awaiting a decision following Wednesday’s screening process.
•Diego Martin Central MP Amery Browne and Arouca MP Alicia Hospedales are awaiting a date for screening.
They will be the last two incumbents to be screened.
The PNM’s candidates in order of their selection are Rowley (Diego Martin West), Clarence Rambharat (Mayaro), Terrence Deyalsingh (St Joseph), Alif Mohammed (Couva South), Faris Al-Rawi (San Fernando West), Maxie Cuffie (La Horquetta/Talparo), Ancil Antoine (D’Abadie/O’Meara), Stuart Young ( PoS North/St Ann’s West), Neil Mohammed (Pointe-a-Pierre), Terry Jadoonanan (Oropouche East), Cherrie Ann Crichlow-Cockburn ( Lopinot/Bon Air West), Alisha Romano (St Augustine), Colm Imbert (Diego Martin North East), Marlene McDonald (PoS South), Diane Baldeo-Chadeesingh (Chaguanas East), Abbegail Nandalal (Chaguanas West), Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly (St Ann’s East), Clifford Rambharose (Oropouche West), Dr Lovell Francis (Moruga/Tableland), Edmund Dillon (Point Fortin), Avinash Singh (Caroni Central), Sara Budhu (Caroni East), Glenda Jennings-Smith (Toco/Sangre Grande), Kevin Craig Chan (Tabaquite), Anthony Garcia (Arima), Randall Mitchell (San Fernando East), Wendell Berkley (Tobago East), Shamfa Cudjoe (Tobago West), Dons Richard Waithe (Naparima), Vidya Deokiesingh (Siparia), Marsha Bailey (Fyzabad), Nikolaiski Ali (Princes Town), Esmond Forde (Tunapuna), Fitzgerald Hinds (Laventille West).
The last to be screened will be nominees for San Juan/Barataria, Cumuto/Manzanilla, and Couva North. Also to be finalised are candidates for La Brea (where Jeffrey is MP) and Laventille East (where Cox is MP)
Today, Rowley will address a Baptist Liberation day function at Grand Chemin, Moruga, featuring PNM members of the 41 constituencies; PNM officials who are Baptist leaders—including Ray Braithwaite and Foster Cummings—will officiate.