00:00The fair's battle seems to be brewing within the party for the Libere seat.
00:04There is even the threat that some may withhold their vote on polling day.
00:09Jule Brown is at Balize House with the latest.
00:20We're trying to connect to Jule at Balize House to tell us the latest as it relates to Libere seat.
00:25Good evening. It's very quiet here right now outside of Balize House.
00:29As of course supporters, which you may be able to see and we will show you in a short while,
00:34are gathered here waiting of course on results of screenings for two constituencies
00:41that the PNM hopes to have prospective candidates for in the general election due this year.
00:47And we actually have one of the supporters of one of the...
00:51If I'm not mistaken I think that person has actually gone.
00:54Somebody who was here in support of one of the nominees for Libere, the constituency of Libere,
01:00that would have been Jermel Peer, the constituency chairman,
01:04who of course is going up against the tourism minister, Randall Mitchell, for that constituency.
01:11That constituency is one where the incumbent MP, Labour minister Stephen McClatchy,
01:16is not going back up to contest that seat.
01:19And of course now I think it may be just a matter of minutes.
01:23It seems I'm seeing some activity. You may not be able to see that right now.
01:26But behind the camera, I think the camera is able to give you a sense of what's going on right now.
01:30You can get a sense of expectation going on now as we are seeing some persons.
01:36Right now I think the nominee actually seems to be outside, Mr Peer, if I'm not mistaken,
01:42right now at Balize House. So there's some expectation going on now.
01:46Now I do believe we have a soundbite from the supporter we were hoping to speak with just now.
01:51And we'll be able to go to that now.
01:54If Mr Mitchell is selected ahead of Mr Peer, I could speak for myself and a lot of Jermel supporters.
02:02He will not get our vote. Because we are fed up. And that's what we are. We are fed up.
02:08And you were telling me why you don't think Mr Mitchell is suited to represent.
02:13Yes, because he failed as an MP in a constituency before and was rejected by that constituency.
02:20What make you think that he would come in a constituency that he don't belong, that he have no ties for,
02:25that he don't live in? What make you think that he will support those people and be there and understand their needs?
02:32If in the constituency that you live, you did nothing, you did not represent your people well,
02:38would you go in a constituency that you don't belong, you don't live, to represent them way better than how you did before?
02:45No, that is not going to happen. So we are going to get probably years of failed representation.
02:52And that is going to be another five years.
02:54Is it a case of no peer, no vote?
02:56No peer, no vote. And that's it.
03:03As often happens at screening exercises like this, it could go from very quiet to some excitement at a moment's notice.
03:10Of course, as there are supporters here waiting to find out which of the two nominees the PNM is screening for,
03:17Labre will be selected by the party to contest that constituency in the general election due this year.
03:23The PNM's screening committee, chaired by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley,
03:27will also be conducting a screening exercise for Lavender East, Mova.
03:31And we understand there are five persons who will be going before the screening committee,
03:35one of which will be the prospective candidate for the PNM at the end of that exercise for that constituency.
03:42That's it here right now at Balize House.
03:45Of course, we will give you the latest, if not tonight, certainly in tomorrow night's newscast,
03:50maybe in the morning edition program, in terms of what the results may be here
03:54as the PNM is screening for prospective candidates for two constituencies this evening,
04:00Labre and Lavender East, Mova.
04:02Reporting from Balize House, Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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