ULP’s candidate selection process is picking up momentum

The candidate selection process of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) continues this evening, when party members in the constituency of South Windward meet to select the person they wish to represent them in the upcoming general elections, constitutionally due, no later than March 2016.

This evening’s meeting, which takes place at the Biabou Learning Resource Centre {{more}}and begins at 6 p.m., could be considered a mere formality, as it is not expected that anyone will oppose the incumbent, Frederick Stevenson, who first won the seat in 2010, when he ran against Burton Williams of the New Democratic Party (NDP). This time around, Stevenson will face newcomer Noel Dickson of the NDP.

The ULP’s candidate selection process is picking up momentum, as three other persons — Cecil McKie, Camillo Gonsalves and Saboto Caesar— were recommended by their respective constituencies as candidates for the upcoming general election over the last five days.

McKie, who is Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture, was nominated unopposed by members of the ULP’s West St George constituency council, at a meeting at the West St George Secondary School on Thursday, November 27. In his first outing at the polls in 2010, McKie romped home with the seat which had been previously held by Michael Browne of the ULP, beating the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Vynnette Frederick. Next time around, McKie will come up against newcomer Dr Jules Ferdinand of the NDP.

On Saturday, at a very well attended meeting at the St Paul’s Parish Hall in Calliaqua, Camillo Gonsalves, son of Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, was also nominated unopposed by members of the ULP in the constituency of East St George. He replaces Minister of Health Clayton Burgin, who has held the seat since 2001. Gonsalves will face off against veteran politician Dr Linton Lewis of the NDP, who unsuccessfully contested the East St George seat in 2005 and 2010. In 2001, Lewis was also unsuccessful against Michael Browne of the ULP in West St George.

The following day, Sunday, the ULP moved to South Central Windward, where incumbent Saboto Caesar was also nominated unopposed to run for the ULP in that constituency. This is Caesar’s second outing at the polls, the first being in 2010 when he took the baton from Selmon Walters. Caesar faced off against Brereton Horne of the NDP last time around, but this time, he will meet newcomer Addison Thomas.

At each of the ULP’s candidate selection meetings, a minimum of 60 constituency council members (card carrying members) must be present for there to be a quorum.

“So those sixty persons, will, in the end, make the decision on the recommendation that is coming out of the constituency council to go to the constituency candidate selection committee,” General Secretary of the ULP Julian Francis explained, in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT earlier this year.

Francis said the constituency candidate selection committee is made up of eleven persons, six of whom come from the central executive of the Party. The other five are members of the constituency council (the chairperson of the constituency council and four others to be elected at the meeting).

He said the candidate selection committee meets and makes its recommendation to the central executive, then to the national council.

Yesterday, the General Secretary said the Party’s national council is scheduled to meeting on December 18, so the candidate selection committees of West St George, East St George, South Central Windward and South Windward will make their recommendations to the central executive sometime between now and December 18, ahead of the national council meeting.

“Then the national council approves or disapproves or recommends that we go back,” Francis said in the earlier interview.

The candidate selection process for North Leeward and South Leeward has already been completed, with Carlos James and Jomo Thomas respectively, having been chosen.

Francis said selection for the other constituencies where no candidate has been named will be done in “slices at a time.”

“We not going to take them all on at the same time. Each constituency has a different environment, a different approach. We take them two by two, three by three.

“Being in government gives you the advantage that you know when you are going to call the election. There is no rush… as the governing party. When you are in opposition, you don’t take chances.”

The opposition New Democratic Party has already named all 15 persons to contest the next general elections on their behalf.