DAVID LEE, Opposition whip in the House of Representatives, hopes some Government members will not support the Government's nominee Christine Kangaloo for President, but vote for the Opposition's nominee Senior Counsel Israel Khan when the Electoral College meets at 1.30 pm on Friday.
He said it will be a secret ballot, and recalled the Prime Minister's recent admission of once defying his party in electing Arthur NR Robinson as President in 1997.
On Thursday, Lee told Newsday the Opposition regards Kangaloo, the former senate president, as unsuitable.
He questioned her political affiliations and past involvement as acting President in terminating Jwala Rambarran as Central Bank governor.
However, Senate Leader Dr Amery Browne, in a text to Newsday, fully endorsed Kangaloo and, in turn, questioned Opposition members’ suitability, citing their conduct in October 2021 in the Electoral College debating the Opposition's unsuccessful call to impeach President Paula-Mae Weekes.
On Friday in the Electoral College, the Government will have 39 votes, namely 23 from the House and 16 from the Senate, including two presiding officers.
Against this, the Opposition will have 25 votes comprised of 19 from the House and six from the Senate, while the Independent Senators have nine votes.
This means even if every Independent Senator voted with the Opposition to total 34 votes, the Government's 39 votes would still carry, provided there were no defections to the Opposition's nominee.
Rowley had hailed Kangaloo as a past opposition senator, government senator, government MP, government minister and senate president.
"I don't disqualify people on the basis of being active politicians. Having been a government minister is part of her pool of experience. She is also a lawyer and has served on both sides of the Parliament floor and both houses."
Rowley said the Constitution specifically envisaged an MP or senator becoming President.
However, the Opposition has feared Balisier House (the headquarters of the ruling party) influencing President's House.
St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen on Wednesday made an eleventh-hour call for Kangaloo to withdraw her nomination.
Lee told Newsday that Khan was "a very noble and upstanding candidate" with no political affiliation, but someone who has been critical of many governments and even Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
He said Kangaloo has been a strong PNM activist and former Pointe-a-Pierre MP.
"The electorate then rejected her in favour of Errol Mc Leod in 2010."
[caption id="attachment_996793" align="alignnone" width="658"] GOVT'S NOMINEE: Christine Kangaloo. -[/caption]
Lee alleged, "She has been left very wanting over the past seven years in her judgement whether it be as senate president against the Opposition, and when she has acted as President."
He reckoned Khan could get elected instead of Kangaloo.
"We feel that tomorrow, if good sense preva
