PP candidates list growing: UNC names 8; COP selects 4

The individual members of the People's Partnership are moving forward to nominations and other critical elections issues as they wait to formalise which members would contest seats.

In this regard, the United National Congress has already named eight of their candidates - five on Monday night - who will represent the party in the September 07 general election.

Read related story: UNC announces five more candidates for GE2015

Its partner, the Congress of the People (COP), has named four for seats COP held in 2010 Parliament.

COP4 - getting getting for September 07 (Express photo)

The COP nominees are Prakash Ramadhar for St Augustine; Rodger Samuel for Arima; Dr. Lincoln Douglas, Lopinot/Bon Air West. Each of them is returning to the constituencies they represented over the past five years.

Former Arima deputy mayor, Patricia Cedeno-Metivier, will fight the D’Abadie/O’Meara constituency. She has been the “caretaker” since the resignation of Anil Roberts, who won the seat for COP in the 2010 general election.

COP SUPPORTS NOROWLEY CAMPAIGN

COP leader Prakash Ramadhar has clarified some misinformation that had been circulating in some quarters about the UNC's "NOROWLEY" campaign that was launched Monday.

Some sources attributed to Ramdhar comments that he had distanced himself from the campaign. 

However the Legal Affairs Minister made it clear to media that he supports the UNC campaign to discredit People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley. Ramadhar told local media there is no validity in the PNM's statement that the campaign was aimed at demonizing the opposition leader.

Ramadhar agreed with the UNC's Vasant Bharath and Rodney Charles, that the campaign is based on the truth, using verifiable data that's in the public domain.
The NOROWLEY campaign includes a website, www.norowley.com, billboards and radio and television advertisements. 

All the material is based on what's in the public domain and what has been said about Rowley by members of the PNM, including his former boss, Patrick Manning.
 
Ramadhar disagreed with the PNM's view that it is an attempt to demonise the opposition leader, noting that Rowley’s "emailgate" has been “reckless” and without merit and the campaign just highlights the truth about Rowley.

The COP leader had some strong words about Rowley calling him "cold" and adding that Trinidad and Tobago would regress under Rowley's leadership. “Anyone can see that he doesn’t really care about people,” the Express quoted Ramadhar as saying.
 
Ramadhar has said COP is hoping to retain the six seats it won in 2010. However no decision has been made yet about San Fernando West and Tunapuna. In both seats the former MPs have said they no longer wish to be considered for nomination.