Duke: Government should pay for election observers

LEADERS of political parties have called on Government to ensure election observers are here for the August 10 general election.

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), in a media release on Sunday, said the Prime Minister sent invitations on July 9 to Caricom and the Commonwealth to consider sending observers to TT for the general election, but both groups cited financial constraints for the mandatory 14-day quarantine as part of covid19 preventative measures. To reach in time to observe the quarantine period, the observers would have had to have arrived in TT by July 24.

The OPM said to ensure the integrity of the contribution of the missions, it was deemed necessary that the host government not cover the costs related to the quarantine of members of the missions. The OPM added Government was still seeking to have at least one election observation mission but, if possible, it would be a Caricom team and not from the Commonwealth.

The request for observers was in response to a call from United National Congress political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke told Newsday the PDP is concerned about the "pretence" of not being able to acquire Caricom, or even better, Commonwealth observers.

He said the party would ask the Government to do whatever it takes to have observers.

"Because this election is more important to this nation than CPL (Caribbean Premier League), this election is way more important than a few of the PNM buddies coming in. Let them spend the money. Let them bring the Caricom observers in so the elections can be fair, or at least appear to be fair."

Progressive Empowerment Party leader Phillip Edward Alexander said Sunday's "hurried release" and request for observers "will not quell the unease and suspicion that the PNM might have less than honest intentions, emphasising the need for outside supervision."

He continued: "This is not an election to take lightly, and those in charge have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted. We need to be vigilant. Trinidad is experiencing a level of social anxiety (sic) that ought not to be exacerbated. The people are bristling at all the wrongdoing and mismanagement. We need less provocation and more sober, lawful, respectful leadership and less of all of this backroom-planned underhanded manipulation. The people won’t stand for that."

Movement for Social Justice (MSJ)  leader David Abdulah said if there are no observers for this election, his party is not greatly concerned, and reiterated that the MSJ has confidence in the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) running the election. He recalled that the MSJ met with the EBC several weeks ago and identified a number of issues to which the EBC provided satisfactory answers.

"TT is not Guyana and we do not have the same history of problems with elections that Guyana has had and which goes back very many decades."

Abdulah said MSJ is, however, supportive of Caricom observers, but does not believe Commonwealth observers are necessary.

"It is not a big issue for us, but we would welcome the presence of Caricom observers."

He added, the party is opposed to observers from the Organisation of American States or the European Union.

"We don't need those countries involved in our electoral process."

Congress of the People  leader Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan said the issue of independent observers speaks to the integrity of the process, and trust and confidence is important in the electoral process both by the domestic and international communities. She added, however, that the health risks of covid19 are also very important and the Chief Medical Officer's protocols have to be followed.

"I am hoping we still can get Caricom observers."