Democratic Front calls for civil unrest until local government elections

THE Trinidad and Tobago Democratic Front party has called on the government to call local government elections when they are due.

The elections would have been constitutionally due between December 2022 and March 2023, but Local Government and Rural Development Minister Faris Al-Rawi has called for the term of local government to be extended for a year.

Under the Miscellaneous Provisions (Local Government Reform) Act 2020, the terms of all councillors and aldermen currently in office could now end on December 3, 2023.

At a media conference on Tuesday morning at its Charlotte Street, Port of Spain office, political leader of the party Anthony Williams said, “We need those local elections called right now. We need it right now. We cannot have a selected year for councillors who did nothing within their three-year tenure, but under the new reforms are getting the opportunity for another year."

He called on the public to practise civil unrest until the government called the local elections.

“To TT, especially to the young folks out there, I need you all to understand this: civil unrest in a democratic form, matter and manner till we get those local elections. Please, TT, do not be swayed.”

The party also expressed disappointment at the government’s inability to create jobs, deal with the surge in crime and criminality and resolve issues with food and infrastructure.