Kamla threatens court action over local government election report

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is demanding Government lay the report of the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) on the pending local government election in Parliament, or have the courts order it to be laid.

Persad-Bissessar said this report is important as it will set out boundaries for seats in the regional corporations.

She said she understands changes have been made to the boundaries, which makes it critical for political parties to plan their strategy for local elections that are due this year and not be put at a disadvantage.

“I don’t have to tell you about the importance of boundaries in an election. Remember what they did in Tobago, and they got a greenwash,” Persad-Bissessar said on the United National Congress (UNC) virtual platform on Monday night.

Persad-Bissessar said she understands that Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein received the report since June 2021.

“Why are you hiding that report, Minister, why don’t you bring that report to the House and lay it? We are being told that the report reached the government since June 2021. So many months have passed, it is an important report because it will tell us about the change in boundaries.

“It is that you want to spring a surprise on us and all other parties because you have knowledge of the changes in the boundaries but you will bring it to us on the eve?

“No way, we are coming for you and we are coming for that report.

Accusing Hosein of being in breach of the law by continuing to hide the report, she put him on notice,”I will be filing the appropriate pre action protocol ;letter to you.

“If you don’t want to lay the Report on your own, we will go to Court to get a Court Order for you to bring that Boundary Report.”

She said she has instructed MP Khadijah Ameen to lay the matter on adjournment for debate in the Parliament on Friday.

“If they fail by Friday, we are going to court. We have sent them the legal documents. We must get the court to order that EBC report be laid in Parliament.”

She said the PNM has a history of stifling democracy in TT alluding to the postponement of local elections for several years under the late prime minister, Patrick Manning.

Under the Rowley administration, she said the same thing has happened, recalling having to send pre-action protocol letters to call by-elections in Barataria and Belmont upon the death of two councillors.

“The same happened in Debe South, when former councillor Purushottam Singh died on February 14, 2021.”

That election has been set for February 7, 2022. The UNC has put forward Khemraj Seecharan as its candidate. Persad-Bissessar is predicting, “We will beat them in Debe South.”