NDP selects third candidate for North Central Windward

It’s official!

Kenroy Johnson, Principal of the Georgetown Secondary School (who is assigned to the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Community College), will be the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) candidate to contest the North Central Windward (NCW) seat against Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.{{more}}

The appointment was confirmed by Alan Cruickshank, General Secretary of the NDP, on Wednesday, November 24.

Cruickshank said that everything was already put into place to accommodate Johnson as the official NCW candidate.

Johnson replaces Margaret London, who was unanimously elected on October 14 after Cameron ‘Dinky’ Balcombe submitted his resignation in September.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday, November 20, the NDP’s general secretary said that the NCW party council had gone ahead with plans to replace London after allegations began to surface about her past.

Cruickshank said that based on what the party’s council had heard, a decision was made to reconsider her appointment.

He, however, contended that a background check was done prior to London becoming one of the nominees in the NCW council’s elections for a candidate to replace Balcombe.

“To the best of our knowledge we were not aware of anything that would have prevented her from being a suitable candidate,” Cruickshank told SEARCHLIGHT.

While not disclosing the details of the rumours against London, Cruickshank said that he did not think that the matters circulating could have prevented her from being a suitable candidate.

“But because of the nearness of the election and with the rumours, it is not a nice thing to have rumours hanging over someone’s head,” Cruickshank explained.

There was too much uncertainty and doubt, he said, adding that the NDP did not want to have a case where there would be a challenge made on one of its candidates following nomination day (today).

“I don’t know the full story. I am only hearing things here and there; there is so much doubt and at such a time,” the general secretary said.

Chairman of the NCW party council Delroy Tesheira when questioned refused to comment on whether a background check had been done on London. (DD)