UNC considering privilege action against PM on election observers

THE Opposition UNC will consider whether or not it will ask for the Prime Minister to be referred to the Privileges Committee of the House of Representatives for comments he made about election observers in the House on September 20.

The UNC will also write to different regional and international bodies such as Caricom and the Commonwealth to maintain the call by party leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for observers to be invited to TT for the next general election.

Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh made these comments at a news conference on September 22.

At the same briefing, St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen said the UNC had received reliable information that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) was printing ballot papers, and this meant the election was imminent.

In an immediate response, EBC chief election officer Fern Narcis-Scope said Ameen's statement was false and no such activity was taking place.

At a UNC public meeting in Chaguanas on September 16, Persad-Bissessar disclosed she had written to Dr Rowley to ask for observers to be invited to TT for the election, which is constitutionally due next year.

In her letter, she asked for invitations to be sent to 16 groups.

They include the Belgium-based European Centre for Electoral Support, Democracy International of the US and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in the UK.

Indarsingh repeated all of these points in the briefing.

He claimed that when the House sat on September 20, Rowley made misleading statements about observers from Caricom and the Commonwealth being invited for the 2020 general election.

Indarsingh said there is a July 26, 2020 statement from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in which both organisations asked Government to assist with the cost for the 14-day quarantine period that its observers had to undergo on entering TT, during the covid19 pandemic.

He repeated claims Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal made in the House on September 20 that the observers did not come because Government was unwilling to help with the cost of  the necessary covid19 quarantine.

Indarsingh insisted Government had enough money during the pandemic to do so.

On whether the Opposition will refer Rowley to the Privileges Committee, Indarsingh said this was a matter for its parliamentary caucus to decide.

"The UNC will not back down on its call for election observers."

He called on voters in all 41 constituencies "to mobilise to become monitors to have the conduct of the EBC and the Government monitored as it relates to this imminent election."

Ameen said PNM's operatives would be distributing jerseys with $500 in them to voters in marginal constituencies to get their support.

In the House on September 20, Rowley said TT had a proud record of free and fair elections.

"The elections that are anticipated to be held sometime in the not too distant future, and can be held as late as November 2025, is not a matter that is before us at this time."

He said any consideration of inviting election observers "will come in the appropriate time when it is reasonable to have that as the priority."

Rowley added that if the UNC were genuinely interested in protecting the country's image and reputation in an election, it should "stop battering the process and the EBC."

He rejected Moonilal's claim that observers did not come for the 2020 election because Government did not have funds to allow them to.

"At no time in the historical record of this country did the Government of Trinidad and Tobago ever say to anyone that they could not facilitate observers of our elections because we did not have any money for them."

In July 2020, Rowley said invitations were sent to Caricom and the Commonwealth for observer missions to come to TT for that election, which happened during the covid19 pandemic.

He added that both organisations found it difficult to meet the cost of sending their respective missions and the 14-day quarantine period required to enter TT because of the pandemic.

In a WhatsApp response on September 22, Narcis-Scope dismissed claims by Ameen and Indarsingh about an imminent general election.

She said the EBC does not print ballot papers.

"Ballots are printed by the Government Printery."

To date, Narcis-Scope continued, no election date has been announced, no related electoral writs have been issued by the President and no candidates have been nominated.

"Therefore it is impossible for ballot papers to be printed at this time."