PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The coalition People’s Partnership government Monday named High Court judge Anthony T. Carmona as its nominee for the head of state to replace outgoing President George Maxwell Richards.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar in an address to the nation described 59-year-old Justice Carmona as an internationally respected member of the judiciary and had been recently elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.

She said he has had a distinguished career in the criminal justice system over the past 30 years serving under several administrations,” she said, adding that he also help positions as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and Acting Director of Public Prosecutions.

He was also a United Nations prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

“This esteemed son of our soil has also been elected by the assembly of State parties United Nations and appointed as a Judge to the International Criminal Court ICC, a court which is internationally recognised as having been formed out of a proposal by former President A.N.R. Robinson.”

The main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) had said it had put forward the name of Justice Rolston Nelson of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for consideration as the next head of state.