The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is due to hold a crucial meeting of the South St George constituency branch on Thursday night to identify the person who should go forward to represent it in the upcoming general election.
A key member of the branch told THE NEW TODAY that the clear frontrunner is businessman Andy “Hot Spot” Williams who has emerged in recent weeks as the most likely person to be given the endorsement by delegates.
Former executive member of the ruling New National Party (NNP), Terrence Forrester is the other person who has expressed an interest in becoming a candidate for Congress in the national election.
According to the top ranking NDC member in the south, he was hopeful that common sense will prevail prior to the meeting and that some of the senior members in the branch will engage Forrester in a discussion and convince him to back down from the contest.
He was hopeful that Thursday night’s NDC South St George branch meeting would boil down to “an endorsement” of Williams to go forward as the candidate for the party in the seat held by Health Minister, Nickolas Steele.
The source noted that a lot of persons have been attending meetings of the branch in recent weeks but several of them are not paid up members and as such will not be allowed to vote on Thursday night.
During the last week, “Hot Spot” Williams has been very visible in the constituency engaging with and assisting a number of persons especially the vulnerable in several communities.
An NDC insider said that “Hot Spot” has been providing food hampers to a number of villagers in the poorer sections of the constituency.
THE NEW TODAY was told that the businessman has almost single-handedly rebuilt a house in Calliste for the recent fire victims.
The NNP Caretaker for the constituency is Infrastructure Development Minister, Norland Cox who has also been seen visiting a number of villages.
The senior government minister has been seen spearheading a number of projects in the constituency especially as it relates to erecting concrete pathways to many homeowners.
NDC has already named seven of the 15 candidates who will represent the party in the upcoming general election with party leader Dickon Mitchell identified for the St David constituency.
The party’s new leadership is trying to break the stranglehold that Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has on the country following back-to-back 15-0 clean sweeps of the polls in 2013 and 2018.