Caption: UNC Wade Mark holds up a picture of duplicate polling cards sent to a constituent in Freeport. Looking on is UNC Legal Advisor Darrell Allahar at a press conference held yesterday at the Office of Opposition in Port of Spain.
By Alicia Chamley
THE United National Congress (UNC) is calling for a Commission of Enquiry into the operations of the Elections and Boundaries Commission immediately after Monday’s elections.
Speaking yesterday at press conference at the Office of the Opposition, Port-of-Spain, after meeting with the Commonwealth Observer Group, legal adviser to the UNC, Darrell Allahar said, “ The UNC is of the view that immediately after the general election there ought to be established a Commission of Enquiry into the EBC and the conduct of all of its election officials in respect to the management and conduct of these general elections with the view to determine whether persons should be prosecuted for misbehaviour.”
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Allahar, who described the meeting with the observers as a “good” one, said the UNC raised concerns that recommendations made by the observer team in 2015 had not been implemented by the EBC.
He said the UNC bought up issues of people receiving duplicated and/or polling cards that were not printed clearly. He also said it had become apparent that many EBC officials lacked the proper training needed to execute their job.
Regarding political bias within the EBC Allahar stated the UNC was of the view “that there is a collection of biased officials in the EBC who engage in delays, confusion and trickery, even before polling day.”
Confirming the UNC had little confidence in the EBC’s ability to provide free and fair elections he said, “Lord, knows what we will face on Monday.”
Allahar said the UNC was not going to tolerate any disruptions or manipulations to the voting process on Monday and said, “The UNC wants to warn these mischievous PNM agents, whether they be returning officers or presiding officers, that we have the best and the brightest attorneys in this country and they are spread across the island of Trinidad, watching everything and prepared to document even the slightest deviation from lawful conduct. These people are just too wicked!”
He said the EBC is not immune to scrutiny and the UNC’s position of requesting a COE will hopefully bring much-needed changes and modernised systems to the Commission, benefiting all future elections.
