By Sue-Ann Wayow
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has written to CARICOM and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to request election observers for the August 14 Local Government Election (LGE).
This, after her request to have the observers was shut down by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Persad-Bissessar issued a press release on Friday stating that she wrote to the Secretaries-General of both organisations asking them to send in observer teams for the election.
She said, “Elections are a cornerstone of our democratic process and must be free and fair, and free from fear.”
Persad-Bissessar stated the People’s National Movement (PNM) and Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) have a history of questionable behaviour in elections in Trinidad and Tobago and the United National Congress (UNC) was of the firm view that election observers were needed to scrutinise the process and serve as a check-and-balance mechanism,
She said, “The presence of observers will also boost public confidence and trust in the process. These local government elections are important and must reflect the will of the people.”
