By Sue-Ann Wayow
ALL candidates in the upcoming election are expected to file their nomination papers with the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) on Friday.
In a media release, the EBC informed prospective candidates that the Returning Officer will be available to receive the nomination papers between the hours of 9 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 3 pm on Nomination Day on April 4. This is in accordance with the Election Rule 23 (6) of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 2:01.
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The release states, “A Returning Officer shall not recognise a candidate as a party candidate unless he has been informed on nomination day by the candidate in writing that he is a member of the party and this membership is confirmed by a list of party candidates supplied to the Returning Officer by the party of which he claims membership not later than nomination day.”
Nomination forms are available from the EBC’s website, at the offices of the 41 Returning Officers and at the EBC’s head office at Frederick Street in Port of Spain.
Of all the 41 constituencies (39 in Trinidad and two in Tobago), 23 have no boundary or name changes this general election.
These are:
1. Barataria/San Juan
2. Caroni East
3. Chaguanas East
4. Chaguanas West
5. Couva North
6. Couva South
7. Diego Martin Central
8. Diego Martin North/East
9. Diego Martin West
10. Fyzabad
11. La Brea
12. Mayaro
13. Moruga/Tableland
14. Naparima
15. Oropouche West
16. Point Fortin
17. Princes Town
18. Siparia
19. Ann’s East
20. Augustine
21. Tobago East
22. Tobago West
23. Tunapuna
With boundary changes but old name, there are 13.
They are:
1. Arima
2. Caroni Central
3. Cumuto/Manzanilla
4. La Horquetta/Talparo
5. Laventille East/Morvant
6. Laventille West
7. Oropouche East
8. Port Of Spain North/St. Ann’s West
9. Port of Spain South
10. San Fernando East
11. San Fernando West
12. Tabaquite
13. Toco/Sangre Grande
Three new constituencies have boundary changes. They are:
1. Malabar/Mausica (formerly D’abadie/O’meara)
2. Claxton Bay (formerly Pointe-a-Pierre)
3. Trincity/Maloney (formerly Arouca/Maloney)
Two constituencies have name changes only.
These are: Aranguez/St Joseph (formerly St Joseph) and Arouca/Lopinot (formerly Lopinot/Bon Air West).
All 41 Returning Officers have already been appointed and Writs of Election issued by President Christine Kangaloo, giving them the authority to cause a poll to be taken in their respective electoral districts on behalf of the EBC last month.
