Scotland favourite as PNM PoS South candidate

ATTORNEY Keith Scotland on Thursday morning confirmed he would indeed be at Queen's Hall later when the PNM screening committee would try again to select a prospective candidate for the Port of Spain South seat in the upcoming general election.

“I’ll be there,” he told Newsday.

Also nominated were Port of Spain deputy mayor Hillan Morean, Children's Authority director Nichola Harvey-Mitchell, management consultant Cherylann Reyes, former PoS councillor Kent Taylor and councillor Aba Kamau.

PNM constituency chairman alderman Wendell Stephens told Newsday that once any party group nominates someone, the constituency executive will let them go ahead for screening.

He revealed that Scotland had got the majority of support among constituency party groups.

Asked what they liked about Scotland, Stephens said, “His legal acumen, of course. He is a prominent attorney.

“He does a lot of work with the less fortunate in the society. We think he will fit in well as a replacement for the MP.”

Stephens said did not know if Scotland has good political acumen on top of his fine legal mind, but added, “Time will tell.”

With incumbent MP Marlene McDonald bowing out, the screening committee on May 28 had selected Olympic shot-put finalist Cleopatra Borel, but she was then found to have acquired US citizenship, rendering her ineligible unless it is renounced in time for the general election.

Also turning up to that day’s event was New National Vision (NNV) leader Fuad Abu Bakr, but the screening committee refused to screen him as he had not been properly nominated by any party group.