Rambally: Election observers would boost Trinidad and Tobago's image

CHAGUANAS West MP Dinesh Rambally said the presence of international observers for the August 14 local government elections would have greatly enhanced TT's reputation globally including among potential investors.

He was addressing a UNC briefing on Wednesday at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain.

The Prime Minister has rejected calls for observers, deeming them unnecessary for council elections.

Rambally said, "Perhaps the most anti-democratic act of Dr Rowley yet is his failure to accede to international observers."

He said democracy was more than the feeling of privacy in the voting booths, but included the Prime Minister's properly considering and complying calls for observers.

"It is not that Dr Rowley does not know this. He asked for, and got international observers in 2015. So he knows how this works."

Rambally said calling for election observers did not equate to an attack on the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC.)

"First, election observation is just that. Its purpose is to observe each part of the electoral process, collect and analyse information, and provide a statement on the quality and conduct of the elections."

He said observers do not intervene in the process or mitigate election-day cheating.

"What this observer involvement does is to ensure electoral integrity, help restore trust in democracy, and grant the elections legitimacy.

"This legitimacy is connected to many things you might not think. International investors look to invest in countries with stable political and electoral systems."

Rambally said Rowley must consider what message was being sent to potential international investors by a denial of observers.

"He is telling the world that TT is a fast becoming a totalitarian state and does not promote any perception of free and fair elections."

Rambally urged voters to view the upcoming election not in terms of local government reform but as a chance to stand their ground against the Government.

"I want to remind the population that PM Rowley and his Cabinet came to the Parliament in November 2022 and passed laws under the disguise of local government reform. They stated then that the law would not apply to existing councillors and other existing local government officials but would only apply to future officeholders.

"Following that, the Rowley-led Government then unlawfully postponed the local government elections, saying that the law permitted them to do so."

Meanwhile, the functions of local government have all but ceased, especially in UNC areas, he added.

Rambally alleged near-daily protests nationwide against bad roads, which he wondered how local government reform would fix.

"We understand that all of our resources cannot be channelled to all of the roads all of the time. But what we don’t understand is that you ignored all of the roads for the past seven-eight years, allowed them to fall into a state of disrepair, and now you as a government coming to say that local government reform will fix everything."

Rambally likewise accused the Government of neglecting drainage after inadequate work in the dry season.

"If we are to elevate the PNM’s campaign argument of this local government election being about local government reform, what they are really saying is that they want you to believe that they, the PNM, can reform themselves in such a way so as to eliminate their own incompetence."

Rambally hit the Government over its planned property tax.

"For five years, the UNC was able to flawlessly maintain recreation grounds, pavilions, cemeteries, and markets through local government, without implementing a single new tax. How did they pave roads, build box drains, and clean watercourses for five years without property taxes?

"The answer is simple: the UNC is competent and we know how to get the job done.

"Unlike the PNM which has managed to sink the economy, the UNC was able to grow it and achieve results."

He alleged Rowley was out of touch on the cost of property tax to citizens.

"The Government is on record as saying that 'It takes cash to care,' using this as an excuse to impose property tax on citizens. This shows that the PNM’s way of caring for you is to tax you more!"

He said councils have had big cuts in their allocations under this Government.

Rambally then denied the Government's claims that the property tax would go directly to councils which would administer and collect it in their areas.

He claimed, "The property tax isn't going to local corporations as promised: it's going to the consolidated fund.

"This means the Government decides how much money gets released to corporations, and historically they've shown financial discrimination against UNC-controlled corporations."