Stuart Young: Election process smooth

Chairman of the People’s National Movement and Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young described the voting process in Monday’s local government elections as smooth.

Young voted at the International School of Port of Spain, International Drive, Westmoorings, after 8 am.

He echoed others who voted there.

“The process, as usual, as I have become accustomed to since I started voting, was a very smooth process. Everything is properly arranged, from what I saw in the hall. From start to finish, one entrance, one exit, and you get the job done very easily and quickly.”

There were a lot of young people working as election officials in that polling station, he said.

Young said he was happy and proud as a Trinidadian that this country could be counted on for a smooth electoral process.

He praised the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), saying it continued to do an excellent job.

In a release on Sunday, the EBC said there were 1,078,651 eligible voters.

Asked about comments by former police commissioner and National Transformation Alliance political leader Gary Griffith, who said Trinidad and Tobago wanted unification and was tired of division and bitterness, Young responded: “The population of TT is not to be underestimated.

“We are a very smart and intelligent population. We may be quiet for most of the time, (but) the population would have seen and heard what people said prior to election.”

Young said that was “normal chatter” and people in TT thought they could slander others, attack them and personalise attacks.

He said politicians should know citizens were smarter than that, and they could not say one thing today and expect citizens to forget.

As for voter turnout, he said it was too early to tell, but from feedback he had received as PNM chairman, it appeared to be good at the time of the interview.

A mother and daughter also said the process was smooth. The mother did not want to be identified but her daughter, Adrianna Housty, described the process as being good for her first time. She said the officials showed her what to do.

Housty said she would vote again, as it was important to have her voice heard and to express her views.

Some voters at the International School said their reason for voting was local government reform.

A Glencoe resident who wished not to be identified said the discussion around local government reform was clearly expressed.

“We are all frustrated with the potholes and all of the other stories. I think it is the least we can do as citizens to vote for the country to be a better place.”

When she voted, she said, there were not a lot of people, but believed this would improve as the day went on.

Daud Muhammed said the process was smooth and he voted for good governance.