UNC registers early complaints of voting irregularities

TWO HOURS into the April 28 general election the opposition UNC had already dispatched letters to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) complaining of irregularities.

UNC candidate for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal spoke to the media outside the Parvati Girls’ Hindu College.

His colleague Dr Michael Dowlath, the candidate for San Fernando West, also voted at the polling station.

He said at polling stations, located at Mohess and Ramai Trace, staff did not show up on time resulting in delays.

"There were some teething problems, in that at 6 am the information officers were not there and that caused a delay.

"We have written to the EBC, meaning the returning officer.”

He said the problem has since been rectified.

Also at Parvati Girls’, he said, security officers were not allowing the elderly and infirmed to be driven onto the compound.

That too has since been corrected.

At Parvati Girls’ there was a slow trickle of voters, but Moonilal said from reports on Oropouche East, in which there are 27,000 eligible voters, the flow has been steady giving him the impression that this year the voter turnout will be higher than in the recent past because of the issues.

Moonilal acknowledged complaints about people living in the same house but voting in different areas saying the EBC was dysfunctional and had a major task of gathering scientific data to ensure proper registration of voters.

Dowlath, who cast his vote shortly after 8 am, shook hands with another contender in the San Fernando West seat Katryna Browne as he left the polling station. Browne is representing the National Coalition for Transformation.

Other contenders include Faris Al-Rawi (PNM), Denile Joseph (APP), Nnika Ramnanan (PF) and Dr Kevin Sarran (NTA).