Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne was one of three incumbent People’s National Movement MPs to be rejected on Thursday night by the party’s screening committee at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain.
Rumours that a well known businessman was being tipped to replace Browne had filled the Balisier House courtyard during the ten-hour marathon screening session, which started after 5 pm on Holy Thursday and ended after 3 am yesterday.
A Facebook status by Tourism Minister Gerald Hadeed also raised the possibility, but PNM secretary Ashton Ford denied the rumour when questioned by the T&T Guardian.
Candidates for the last seven constituencies were interviewed by the committee, which was chaired by PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley.
But the candidates for Diego Martin Central and Barataria/San Juan all failed to meet the requirements, Ford told reporters in the early hours of yesterday.
He said Browne, who was first chosen as a candidate under former leader Patrick Manning in 2007, did not meet the requirements.
“The screening committee was not satisfied with any of the candidates, including the incumbent Dr Browne,” he said, adding the “the PNM was very concerned that the constituency (Diego Martin Central) was unable to find a suitable candidate.”
Ford said no one on the committee endorsed Browne when it was sought during the interview and the constituency was given until April 13 to find a suitable candidate for the PNM-stronghold seat.
Browne said before his screening that he was confident and that the process would be conducted fairly. He said he did not think incumbency was a negative thing, as he responded to questions about the number of incumbents who were previously rejected by the committee.
Two other incumbents were rejected hours earlier—La Brea MP Fitzgerald Jeffrey, who was replaced by National Gas Company’s Nicole Olivierre and Arouca/Maloney MP Alicia Hospedales, who was replaced by the woman she replaced in 2007, Senator Camille Robinson-Regis.
And in an unprecedented development, outgoing Laventille East/Morvant MP Donna Cox also appeared before the screening committee. Ford said she wad invited to do so by Rowley. He said Cox had claimed the process was not fair “but in the end the decision to reject her remain unchanged.”
He said Adrian Leonce, a young engineer who lives in the constituency, was chosen as the prospective candidate “as a mentor for the constituency.”
Leonce said he was prepared to work with everyone to advance the constituency.
Former PNM ministers Paula Gopee-Scoon, Hedwidge Bereaux and Arnold Piggott were among the small, subdued group of supporters at Balisier House on Thursday.
The PNM has already selected 39 of its 41 prospective candidates for the forthcoming general election, which is constitutionally due by September. No date has as yet been announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.