By Chantalé Fletcher
OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark calls for the immediate withdrawal of the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) pilot project involving electronic data collection in the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, he said, “We call on EBC Chairman Mark Ramkerrysingh to immediately withdraw this insulting document and this unilateral imposition on the people of Tobago, on the eve of a hotly contested election.”
Mark presented a document which was dated November 29 but yet unsigned which made it difficult for the public to know who sent the release.
The letter read, “In its thrust to improve its election management processes and timely provision of information to its stakeholders, the Commission will be implementing a pilot project in two electoral districts with respect to one of its processes.
“This pilot project will see an increased use of technology in its data collection and this will be conducted parallel to the traditional manual process for this data collection in those two electoral districts.”
He said, “The words, ‘They will be implementing;’ suggests that they were not asking for any consultation but instead taken a unilateral decision to implement a measure without any consultation with the Opposition, stakeholders and political parties as far as I am aware.”
Senator Mark called on the Ramkerrysingh to say where in the election rules derive such power.
“We have looked at election rules under the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) and we have not seen any provision that gave the Chief Elections Officer the power to unilaterally impose such a mechanism on the electoral process in Tobago.”
Mark also asked several questions in regards to the ECB’s decision on the THA election next Monday.
“Was this requested by the Peoples’ National Movement (PNM)?
“Has the EBC become an agent of the PNM?
“Or is the EBC some type of conspiracy with the PNM to thief and steal the next election in Tobago and the upcoming General or Local election in Trinidad?”
Mark said, “Do not introduce this in our local elections unless you consult with us. Mr Mark Ramkerrysingh, you must pursue your pilot project after the election on December 6, not before and not during, less you be seen by the population as the EBC becoming a stooge and a tool of the ruling PNM.”
He added that the decision on the part of the EBC was contrary to the principle of democracy.
