By Sue-Ann Wayow
IF Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley refuses to have international observers for the local government elections, citizens should stand in unified protest against it.
Political Leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Alexander is suggesting that Dr Rowley not reject the request as decreasing trust in state institutions as well as the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) is a plausible reason why they were needed.
Alexander said in a release on Wednesday, “The Prime Minister’s rejection of the request for external electoral observers is absurd and a slap in the face of strong democratic principles as well as the voters themselves.
“The fact that few people trust any institution of state or process undertaken by state including and some might say particularly the EBC speaks loudly to the need for such observers, if only to assuage fears that the system may not be as trustworthy as something as important as an election needs to be. It’s a matter of trust.”
Alexander added that the Privy Council had to remind the politicians of the importance of an election which should be the greatest of unavoidable red flags and a non-negotiable reason for the request.
He said, “Freedom is not free and needs defending, supervising, overseeing, and perhaps this is the best opportunity to force the point home to those in high public office that in a democracy, nothing is as important as the sanctity of the electoral process and the will of the voters.”
Alexander said if the decision was not rescinded, members of all political parties and the citizenry need to be prepared to protest in no uncertain terms including shutting the country down in unity if that what it will take.
“The power he (Dr Rowley) wields belongs to the taxpaying voters, and their opinion on such matters trumps anything he or his government may feel every time,” Alexander said.
