Haynes: PM talking nonsense on election observers

UNITED National Congress (UNC) PRO Anita Haynes is not buying the Prime Minister’s explanation of a lack of funds at the Commonwealth for an absence of international observers for the August 10 general election, she told Newsday on Monday.

Dr Rowley has said he is trying to source funds from international donors to finance an observer team to visit TT.

“That’s nonsense,” Haynes said. “The Commonwealth pays for their observers.”

She said she had called on Rowley to publicly share his correspondence with the Commonwealth.

She said the Commonwealth on its website had indicated that since the advent of covid19 it had tried to encourage independent local individuals to serve as election observers. If the Government is committed to democracy, it will accede to this, she said. She called for a trusted team of independent local individuals as observers.

Haynes alleged that since Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had recently called for election observers, Rowley had dragged his feet on the matter.

“He needs to be called out on his nonsense. What they are doing is very dangerous. We are talking about our election.”

Haynes said observers are important against the backdrop of the ongoing stalling of the Guyana general election results.