00:00The Mayor of Port of Spain, Chinwa Lane, is happy that the new Headquarters of the Elections
00:05and Boundaries Commission will remain in the capital city.
00:09This moment is especially significant because it reaffirms Port of Spain's role as the cradle
00:16of democracy in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:22We are thrilled that the EBC will continue to be headquartered in our city and we recognize
00:27that this facility will serve as the cornerstone for the Commission's vital work, whether it
00:33be ensuring the registration of voters, the conduct of free and fair elections in every
00:39constituency and the review of our constituency boundaries.
00:44Mayor Lane noted that February 7th marked the 100th anniversary of the first general
00:49elections to be held in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:52The EBC's Chairman, Mark Ramkeri Singh, spoke about another aspect of the history of such
00:59elections.
01:00The Elections and Boundaries Commission first came into being with the 1976 election.
01:06Next year will mark our 50th anniversary.
01:11From its first iteration as the Elections Commission and subsequently as a unified body,
01:18the Elections and Boundaries Commission, by successfully conducting elections in Trinidad
01:23and Tobago with the highest probity and transparency, has played a crucial role in shaping the democratic
01:32landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:35The Port of Spain Mayor said this alterning ceremony marked the construction of what he
01:39called another monument in defense of Trinidad and Tobago's democratic way of life.
01:44I would like to thank the Prime Minister, Dr. The Honourable Keith Christopher Rowley,
01:49for continuing to defend and invest in our democratic institutions.
01:55Prime Minister Rowley commended the EBC for its work as he highlighted the issue of election
01:59data.
02:00Today, data is the blood that flows in the veins of countries and the EBC is about data.
02:11I don't know how many of you are paying attention to the furore in the richest nation of the
02:16world today, the most powerful military nation in the world today.
02:21The furore last night and this morning is that the population is rising up, asking questions
02:29about who is having access to their data.
02:33As the opposition has raised its concerns about the EBC in recent years, the government
02:38has consistently defended the Commission's management of the general elections, local
02:43government elections, Tobago House of Assembly elections and by-elections.
02:48The EBC holds your name, it holds your date of birth, it holds your address and maybe
02:56more, probably your gender.
03:00You might think that that is just by the way, but when you understand how that can be used
03:06for you or against you, you will then realise how important it is to have an up-to-date
03:15EBC, a secure EBC and an independent EBC.
03:20The EBC's chairman spoke about a new proposal for the production of ID cards.
03:26Once operationalised, we expect to be able to print ID cards not only at our central
03:32electoral office, as it is now limited to, but also at select offices such as Arima Piarco,
03:41Tobago and San Fernando PinalDB.
03:45This will enable same-day delivery of ID cards to many persons who are conducting renewal
03:50or replacement transactions.
03:52The EBC's chairman said its new headquarters will serve as the hub for innovation and electoral
03:58processes.
04:00Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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