By Faith Edwards
THE United National Congress (UNC) is raising concerns over what it describes as a growing list of electoral irregularities related to Special Voting in the lead up to the 2025 General Election, following the press briefing on Tuesday that addressed similar issues.
In a statement issued Thursday, the opposition party cited multiple procedural breaches and described the situation as a lack of transparency from the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
The UNC claims it was informed that ten special ballots were erroneously assigned to the Tunapuna constituency.
According to the party, its representatives asked the Returning Officer and the EBC for basic details, including the total number of ballots received, how many were issued, how many remained unissued, and the status of the Special Ballot Box, but were met with refusal.
“This is an unacceptable breach of transparency,” the UNC stated, adding that it will be sending a formal letter demanding a full accounting.
The party also said that Special Voting, initially set for Tuesday April 15, was changed to Wednesday April 16 without any formal notice being given to the UNC.
A special voter reportedly arrived at the designated venue on April 16 but found no EBC representatives present, resulting in over an hour of delay.
“This last-minute shift prevented the UNC from observing the process,” the party said.
In a separate development, the UNC says it received an email from the EBC at 6.51 pm on April 16 with a letter dated April 10, information that the party insists had never been previously sent.
Then, just 43 minutes later, it received the same letter again, this time dated April 16.
The party says this raises “serious questions about the EBC’s internal procedures and record-keeping,” and is demanding clarity on why the same document had two different dates.
The UNC further alleged that it has not been given access to observe special voting at sites designated for offshore petroleum workers.
“These are secure locations, and no provisions have been made for party officials to monitor voting there,” the UNC said.
The UNC is now publicly calling on the EBC to:
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Account for the ten misallocated Tunapuna ballots;
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Provide a full breakdown of all ballots issued and unissued;
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Address the communication failures related to special voting;
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Ensure that any future changes are communicated in a timely, formal manner.
The party also reiterated its call for international election observers to arrive immediately, stating that voting has already begun and their absence is unacceptable.
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“The UNC will continue to stand guard over the democratic process, expose wrongdoing wherever it arises, and fight tirelessly to ensure that this election is conducted with full integrity, transparency, and accountability.”
In support of its claims, the UNC attached official correspondence with the EBC detailing the ballot mix-up, offshore voting approvals, and the party’s formal complaint dated April 17.
