PRIME Minister Stuart Young announces that Trinidad and Tobago will welcome international observers, including the US-based Carter Center, to monitor the April 28 general elections.
This is amid calls from the opposition for greater oversight to ensure transparency.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing in St. Ann’s, on Thursday, Young revealed he instructed Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne to formally invite the Carter Center, a non-profit organisation renowned for global election monitoring.
The move comes after the government had already secured commitments from Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland and a Caricom observer team, the latter invited by former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley in December 2024.
Caricom confirmed its participation on January 13, 2025, before Young assuming office and setting the election date.
The decision follows a March 19 statement by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who urged the inclusion of “independent, non-Caribbean” observers, citing concerns over the government’s “troubling track record on democratic integrity.” Persad-Bissessar emphasized the need for “credible oversight” to safeguard the electoral process.
Young defended the credibility of Caricom observers, dismissing Persad-Bissessar’s skepticism as “completely ridiculous.”
He said, “We will not disrespect Caricom in any way. The region must stand strong together,” he stated, referencing global uncertainties. He also disclosed that a diplomatic note was sent to Caricom on March 19, confirming the April 29 election date and welcoming their delegation.
Addressing the opposition’s allegations, Young asserted, “We intend to have free and fair elections, as we always have.” He criticized the opposition’s tendency to “look for every excuse and run to the courts” after electoral losses, vowing, “This election will be no different.”
The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, has monitored over 125 elections in 40 countries since 1989, including regional polls in Guyana, Jamaica, and Venezuela. Its inclusion aims to bolster public confidence in the process.
For the 2020 general elections, Caricom and Commonwealth observers were invited but could not attend due to pandemic restrictions and financial hurdles.
