DNA launches twelfth candidate

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Joanne Massiah, political leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), has declared that the party’s full slate of candidates will be in place by Monday, March 5, Nomination Day.
She gave the assurance Thursday night during the unveiling of yet another candidate who will be contesting the March 21 election on the party’s behalf.
Bruce Goodwin, former Antiguan and Barbudan ambassador, will run on the DNA’s ticket in the St. John’s City East Constituency, where the incumbent is Antigua Barbuda Labour Party’s (ABLP) Member of Parliament Melford Nicholas.
Goodwin was presented to the public during a ceremony at the Irene B. Williams School in Swetes.
The party had earlier indicated that all the five remaining candidates would be introduced to the public, however by the end of the event, Goodwin was the only new candidate who took the podium aside from Massiah who re-affirmed her commitment to the people of All Saints East and St Luke.
Massiah told OBSERVER media Thursday night, that the four remaining candidates have some issues to wrap up which are mostly work related.
She explained that some of them are civil servants and would have to resign from their substantive posts before moving on to launch a career in politics.
“Nobody is going to walk away from their years of service, everything is entrenched. The challenge comes when you are a public servant because you are putting yourself forward,” Massiah said.
The political leader said come Monday all the candidates will be in place and will be duly nominated.
She also outlined that a press release will be issued to the media on the weekend if there are any changes or further launches.
Meanwhile, Goodwin has expressed a keen interest in improving the sanitary conditions within the community, youth development and the creation of green spaces for recreational purposes.
“The environmental health programme will see constant attention being paid to keeping waterways in the community clean and clear, so water can flow properly when it rains to prevent overflow.
“The fourth point of the programme deals with youth development and training. If our youths are not guided and are not trained properly, they will become juvenile delinquents,” Goodwin said.
The prospective candidate is also aiming to establish a welfare and development commission for the community in order to benefit the poor and vulnerable.
This will be managed by members of the community who will be tasked with ensuring these individuals are identified and are adequately catered for.
Goodwin has served in Antigua and Barbuda in a number of areas, including education as a teacher, business, in elections management, and as a former chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.
He also holds the distinction of being Antigua and Barbuda’s first resident ambassador to the People’s Republic of Cuba and the first ambassador from a CARICOM country to the African Union.
The DNA candidate will also come up against Harold Lovell, the political leader of the United Progressive Party.

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