Opposition Leader writes to Prime Minister for election observers

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has once again called for observers for next year's general election.

She made the call at a UNC public meeting in Chaguanas on September 16.

Persad-Bissessar, who is also UNC political leader, told party supporters she has formally written to the Prime Minister to request that government invite independent, international election observers for the election.

Dr Rowley returned from the US earlier in the day. He went there on September 1 for a routine medical check up.

She quoted some excerpts from her letter.

"I write to formally request that the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which you lead, gives an official commitment to me, and by extension, the citizens of our beloved country, that it will, as a matter of priority and ethical obligation, ensure the presence of independent international election observers for the 2025 general elections."

Persad-Bissessar asked Rowley to commit to issuing the relevant invitations with urgency to several major international observer bodies "to uphold and preserve the constitutional rights of citizens, in accordance with the cherished democratic principles that govern our nation.”

She listed the groups in the letter.

Persad-Bissessar said, "The letter will be delivered to him this week. The country looks forward to a positive response."

She made the same request to Rowley ahead of the August 10, 2020 election.

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.

Last June, Rowley turned down a request from Persad-Bissessar to invite international observers for the local government elections which took place two months later.

He said there was no need for such an intervention, but observer groups were free to come if they wished to.

Persad-Bissessar said the UNC will be relentless in its insistence there be observers for the election.

She claimed there is dysfunction and chaos in the PNM.

Persad-Bissessar also claimed Rowley wanted to call the election before the next PNM internal elections because "he is afraid of the cut-tail PNM people have lined up for his slate."

Persad-Bissessar claimed PNM members are asking how Energy Minister Stuart Young rose to become party chairman and has acted twice as prime minister while Rowley was overseas.

Young acted as prime minister in July while Rowley was attending a Caricom heads of government meeting in July. He acted a second time from September 1.

Persad-Bissessar repeated UNC claims about Young recusing himself from over 100 Cabinet meetings and one of his relatives receiving billions of dollars in financing contracts.

She disclosed that the party has made a freedom of information request to find out if Young had recused himself from any more meetings.

Persad-Bissessar reminded party supporters the UNC held internal elections in June. All posts except hers were up for grabs. The election for the post of UNC political leader is scheduled to be held next year.

Persad-Bissessar said, "Our members democratically chose our (UNC) Natex (national executive). Let us see what happens in the coming months."

In the UNC's elections, the Persad-Bissessar-endorsed Star slate defeated the United Patriots' slate led by Mayaro MP Rushton Paray.

After the elections, Paray and fellow UNC MPs Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Dinesh Rambally, Dr Rai Ragbir and Rodney Charles were not invited to a general election preparation meeting that the party held in Chaguanas on September 1. On September 9, all five of them were reassigned to the lower end of the opposition's front bench in the House of Representatives.

All five have publicly questioned the UNC's ability to win a general election with Persad-Bissessar as its leader.

Paray, Haynes-Alleyne, Ragbir and Rambally have all filed their nominations to stand for re-election in Mayaro, Tabaquite, Cumuto/Manzanilla and Chaguanas West. Charles announced last year that he will not stand for re-election as Naparima MP.

Ragbir is facing disciplinary action from the party for voting with the government to pass the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 in the House on June 21. Earlier this month, he said no action has been taken against him as yet.