OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a renewed call for independent international election observers for the April 28 general elections.
She has written a letter to Prime Minister Stuart Young following a similar letter to his predecessor Dr Keith Rowley on September 16, 2024.
Persad-Bissessar said the CARICOM observers could be conflicted.
The political leader of the UNC stated, “Despite the government’s invitation to CARICOM observers, the Opposition strongly believes that independent, non-Caribbean international observers are necessary to ensure a free and fair electoral process.”
In a statement on Wednesday, stated, “This renewed call follows Keith Rowley’s dismissive response to the initial request. In Parliament on September 20, 2024, Rowley indicated that the matter was not a priority at the time and downplayed the importance of international observers in enhancing the country’s democratic credentials.”
Persad-Bissessar highlighted several concerns regarding the current state of democratic processes in Trinidad and Tobago.
She said, “International election observers have monitored Trinidad and Tobago’s general elections since 2000, ensuring transparency and fairness. However, in 2020, for the first time in 20 years, observers were absent due to the government’s delayed invitation and refusal to fund quarantine costs during the Covid-19 lockdown.”
Persad-Bissessar said there were conflicts of interests with the CARICOM observer mission since the Assistant Secretary-General of CARICOM Elizabeth Solomon, is the wife of former attorney general Reginald Armour.
She noted that the government had to be taken to the Privy Council to overturn its unconstitutional decision to postpone the 2022 local government election.
Persad-Bissessar detailed significant issues including:
• The High Court’s 2015 ruling that the EBC acted unlawfully by extending voting hours without proper notification;
• The partisan composition of the EBC, with all commissioners appointed from traditional PNM strongholds;
• The EBC’s re-drawing of boundaries for 2021 Tobago House of Assembly elections, and acquiescing to the government’s legislative manipulation to force new elections; and
• Irregularities during the 2023 local government election.
She also cited the undermining of independent institutions in the country including the “partisan appointment” of President Christine Kangaloo, a former PNM politician, who now oversees key state appointments; political interference in the Police Service Commission, including the controversial withdrawal of a merit list for the Police Commissioner in 2021; and Government attacks on the Auditor-General following reports of unaccounted public expenditure
