Has the PNM swallowed its pride or is it displaying fear of losing its strong position within the Point Fortin Borough? Many residents of Point Fortin hold the latter belief, especially after Christopher “Boyross” Wright was nominated as the PNM’s candidate for the Hollywood district within the Borough of Point Fortin.
Boyross had been sidelined as the candidate for the district in 2021 when the area’s representative, former mayor, Kennedy Richards Jr., vacated his Councilor position to assume the role of Member of Parliament for Point Fortin following the 2020 general election.
During the 2021 by-election, despite being sidelined, Boyross decided to run as an independent candidate and secured 40% of the votes, with an electoral count of 307. The PNM won the seat with 394 votes, accounting for 52% of the total. The UNC candidate obtained 58 votes, capturing 7%.
Rumors suggest that the PNM approached Christopher, pleading with him to not consider his independent position, but to accept their nomination for the 2023 local government election, fearing that his influence within the Hollywood district could result in a loss for the PNM, if he contested the seat independently.
Marilyn Ramnarinesingh is another candidate who previously ran against the PNM. In 2010, she successfully contested the Cap de Ville/Fanny Village seat on a UNC/COP/NJAC coalition ticket. However, Ramnarinesingh subsequently switched allegiance towards the PNM and was screened as a PNM candidate for the same area. Nevertheless, her nomination was rejected at that time. Now, she has been selected to contest the 2023 local government election for the same district as a member of the PNM.
Opinions within the PNM vary, with some members expressing disgust while others hail the decision to nominate individuals who once opposed the party as a strategic move. The candidates who have secured nominations to contest seats on behalf of the PNM in the upcoming Local Government Elections are as follows:
- Wendell Williams: Techier/Guapo
- Kwasi Thomas: Egypt
- Leslie Pascall: New Village
- Marilyn Ramnarinesingh: Cap de Ville/Fanny Village
- Steve Guischard: New Lands/Mahaica
- Christopher “Boyross” Wright: Hollywood
