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  • 1 year ago
The Prime Minister has offered a response to calls by the Opposition UNC for the presence of foreign election observers in this country for the General Election due next year.

The Prime Minister says Trinidad and Tobago's elections are free and fair.

He says that this has been supported by Court rulings regarding legal challenges by the Opposition.

The Prime Minister also says that the General Election could be held as late as November of next year.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00Madam Speaker, notwithstanding the best efforts of our colleagues on the other side, Trinidad
00:07and Tobago preserves its proud record in conducting free and fair elections.
00:17Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has responded to a question from Oropuch East MP Dr. Rudal
00:21Munilal on behalf of the opposition during the Prime Minister's questions segment in
00:26the House of Representatives on Friday.
00:28Will the Prime Minister indicate whether any steps will be taken in a timely manner to
00:33invite international and regional observer teams to monitor the upcoming general elections
00:39in Trinidad and Tobago?
00:41Opposition leader Kamala Prasad Bissessa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister dated September
00:4516th requesting that the government invite independent, international and regional election
00:50observers for the next general election in Trinidad and Tobago due next year, 2025.
00:57Elections that are anticipated to be held sometime in the not-too-distant future and
01:03can be held as late as November of 2025 is not a matter that is before us at this time.
01:12Notwithstanding the best efforts of our colleagues, and in the event of any consideration for
01:17the invitation of our own personal agency from the outside, that will come in the appropriate
01:25time when it is reasonable to have that as a priority.
01:31Dr. Munilal posed a follow-up question.
01:34Would the Prime Minister agree that an invitation to the known international and regional observer
01:40missions would in fact enhance our democratic credentials in the eyes of the region and
01:47the wider world?
01:50Not as much, Madam Speaker, as the successful defence of accusations from the other side
01:55where since 2020 our colleagues owe the PNM millions of dollars and will not pay for matters
02:00in the court that they keep making allegations about election conduct and on every single
02:06instance, Madam Speaker, the elections have been formed to be free and fair and have nothing
02:10to do with the fairs that they are trying to create about our election processes.
02:15The Prime Minister then made a direct reference to the Elections and Boundaries Commission,
02:20the EBC.
02:21Madam Speaker, I would advise my colleagues on the other side that if you are really genuinely
02:25interested in our image and reputation in elections, you will stop battering the process
02:31and the EBC.
02:35MP Munilal said he did not understand the link the Prime Minister made with his response
02:39to the concerns raised by the opposition.
02:43Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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