By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe, QC, has been selected as the Progressive Liberal Party’s candidate for the newly named Free Town constituency, The Tribune understands.
According to sources in the party, the Candidates Committee chose Mr Munroe over Senator Frank Smith and the National General Council is expected to ratify Mr Munroe on Monday.
When contacted for comment, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said an announcement will be made on Monday.
However, Mr Munroe told The Tribune he “heard from a few persons” that he would be representing the party, but he has not received official confirmation.
Mr Munroe was expected to be ratified by the National General Council of the PLP last month, but the nomination was postponed in view of the high-profile fight between supporters of Mr Smith and Mr Munroe, which played out at a party meeting a day earlier.
Mr Smith is a long-time PLP member, having run for the party in the Blue Hills constituency in 1997, which he lost, and having represented the now defunct St Thomas More area in Parliament from 2002 to 2012.
He lost to Richard Lightbourn in the Montagu constituency - recently renamed Free Town - in 2012. Mr Smith was appointed as a PLP senator this term and is chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA).
Mr Munroe joined the PLP in 2015. In 2012, he ran unsuccessfully on the Democratic National Alliance’s ticket.
Mr Munroe said he has “respect” for Mr Smith but he is “not surprised” that he was chosen as the party’s standard-bearer.
“I am not surprised, why would I be? The committee voted for me as I understand it,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune on Wednesday.
“My colleague Mr Frank Smith engaged in the democratic process as the Progressive Liberal Party allows and then the party went through the process of making a determination. I have high regard for Mr Smith but this is a matter for us, the party had a process,” Mr Munroe said.
Last week, it was revealed that the PLP’s Montagu branch voted to nominate Mr Smith before the Candidates Committee decided to give the nomination to Mr Munroe, according to a press statement from the branch.
The PLP’s constitution says all prospective candidates must either be recommended by the constituency branch or a member in good standing.
In the event that the National General Council chooses a candidate that is different from one who is recommended by the branch, the PLP’s constitution says there “shall be a joint meeting comprised of the branch and/or affiliate member and ten members of the National General Council appointed by the national chairman in consultation with the leader and that joint committee shall amicably resolve the matter and report to the leader its findings.”
The PLP has named candidates for every constituency except Free Town.
Comments
birdiestrachan 7 years, 9 months ago
No lie, I just love Mr: Munroe. I wish him all the best.
Emac 7 years, 9 months ago
Of course you do!
Honestman 7 years, 9 months ago
You love everything PLP and so your comment was unnecessary.
Zakary 7 years, 9 months ago
If he gets in, you may not like him down the road. It’s always nice when the PLP nominates a candidate that has a fairly good chance of going rogue in the future...
Hogfish 7 years, 9 months ago
disgustin spawn of satan himself !
TalRussell 7 years, 9 months ago
Comrades! I don't think we even know the total number votes this new constituency will have going into the 2012 General?
I do not believe the constituency to be natural vote gathering territory for either of the three contesting political parties. Right at this early stage it would be impossible to even talk about which party's candidate will be the one to free the constituents from the old UBP's stronghold.
themessenger 7 years, 9 months ago
Let them be free by all means Tal, but that kind of freedom comes with a price called PLP representation,but then some people enjoy punishment. Just ask the people of Kemp Road and the surrounding area who they got better representation from over the last ten years, ole UBP Richard Lightbourn or PLP Frank Smith?
ac8663 7 years, 9 months ago
Ole UBP Lightbourne
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