The People's National Movement (PNM) and the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) have each announced their 15 prospective candidates for the December 6 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election.
But while the PNM has replaced all of its six losing candidates from the January 25 poll, the PDP's screening committee has re-selected five of theirs.
During a television interview on Tobago Channel 5 on Tuesday, Augustine revealed the party's slate for the upcoming election. It included Joel 'Nuttsy' Sampson (Bon Accord/Crown Point); Abby Taylor (Darrel Spring/Whim); Wane 'Wasp' Clark (Lambeau/Lowlands); Megan Morrison (Mt St George/Goodwood) and Trevor James (Scarborough/Mt Grace). They had all lost their seats in the January 25 THA election.
Former PDP candidate Jaime Roberts Baird, who lost the Buccoo/Mt Pleasant seat to PNM's Ancil Dennis in January, did not seek re-election.
PDP deputy political leader Farley Augustine told Newsday retaining the majority of their previous candidates was not a difficult decision. He noted the party's losing candidates remained grounded in their communities since January. He said, as a result, it was easy for the PDP's screening committee to re-select them to contest the upcoming election.
'The PDP understood then, as it understands now, that we always had the best candidates in the election. Furthermore, while those that lost on the PNM's side disappeared into oblivion, our candidates that lost proceeded to put in work as if they were elected,' he said.
'Those five provided hampers, tablets, health clinics, home repairs, business development programmes and mentorship support for both schools and other social institutions, as well as public infrastructure works. They never left the ground and they earned their place on our list of prospective candidates.'
The PNM's losing candidates Melissa James-Guy (Plymouth/Golden Lane); Rory Dillon (Parlatuvier/L'Anse Fourmi/Speyside); Shomari Hector (Bethel/Mt Irvine); Kwesi Des Vignes (Mason Hall/Moriah/Providence); Boxhil Bailey (Goodwood/Belle Garden) and Neil Beckles (Roxborough/Delaford) have been replaced by Brian 'Smooth' Thomas (Bethesda/Les Coteaux); Franka Cordner (Parlatuvier/L'Anse Fourmi/Speyside); Downie Marcelle (Bethel/New Grange); Lawrence Hislop (Mason Hall/Moriah); Kenneth 'Puncheon' Thomas (Belle/Garden/Glamorgan) and Nadine Stewart-Phillips (Roxborough/Argyle).
Political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said the fact that the PDP has reselected five of its losing candidates for the upcoming election suggests they still have considerable support within their respective electoral districts.
'Clearly, I would think that the PDP is thinking that even though they would be recalling five of their losing candidates, they would probably be thinking that these candidates still command significant support in their respective electoral districts. Now, bear in mind that they would have lost, but the margins of defeat is what one has to look at.'
In the last THA election, Sampson lost the Canaan/Bon Accord seat to PNM's
