On Monday, PDM to reveal its General Election slate
Over a year after opening its doors for candidate applications, the People’s Democratic Movement is ready to reveal the 10 individuals who will contest the electoral districts in the 2025 general elections.
Ezra Taylor communicated with the media on April 30th following reports that several candidates had received confirmation letters in the weeks prior.
“After an extensive exercise conducted by the People’s Democratic Movement, we are pleased to announce to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands that an official launch of our ten district candidates will take place on May 6, 2024, at 11:00 am,” Taylor indicated.
The team is being kept under wraps until the reveal date but at least one candidate is certain as the team will be: “Under the strong, caring, and trusted leadership of the Hon. Edwin Astwood assisted by a dynamic group of candidates, who together, will forge a future where Turks and Caicos Islanders will feel safe, prosper and fulfill their potential,” Taylor said, indicating that Astwood would reprise his role as Opposition Leader, and likely as candidate for Grand Turk South and Salt Cay based on his own comments.
Astwood was the only PDM candidate to hold onto a seat in the last election, an overwhelmingly yellow victory for the PNP.
In the selection of their five all island candidates which have already been revealed, the PDM placed trust in quite a few of the candidates from that failed election bid, including Karen Malcolm, Robert Been, Ralph Higgs, and Sean Astwood. It remains to be seen whether voters are ready to embrace again, the PDM as the government of the islands.
Edwin Astwood has however stressed that it was the vote of the people that decided who got a spot in the all-island lineup. The opposition leader indicated that surveys had been carried out with over 1,000 respondents indicating who they wanted to run.
“We don’t know how things happened in the past with other parties but we wanted you the people to make the decision and whatever decision you made we were going to live with it. You made this decision for me and I thank you,” he had said to the public.
The PDM has not confirmed whether that was the deciding factor in the second round of candidates as well.
However National Chairman Taylor is confident in their selections maintaining that:
“During this crucial time in our country, Turks and Caicos Islanders need a people-centered government that will address the needs of our country, and lead our country with a sense of purpose. The People’s Democratic Movement is ready, willing and able.”
