00:00During the UNC's general election community meeting in Arima on Friday,
00:05Opposition Senator Arnold Roberts raised a concern with regard to the 2025 general election to take place on April 28th.
00:13We have no election observers yet. 16 days to go.
00:18Election observers normally come three months before an election to see the process,
00:25to cut the balance, to check the returning officers, to hear the meetings, to see how it's being divided,
00:32to find out where the polling stations are, what the process is, to check the ink, to check everything.
00:38They normally come three months before. We are 16 days away, not an observer.
00:45Why is that? Because the PNM plans to steal the election from you.
00:51On Saturday, the Foreign and Caracom Affairs Ministry issued a media release,
00:55stating that the observer missions for the general election are expected to commence and complete the exercise in Trinidad and Tobago
01:01during the period April 21st to April 30th, 2025.
01:06The Foreign Ministry said Caracom and the Commonwealth confirmed their involvement
01:10via official correspondence dated January 13th and March 25th of this year, respectively.
01:16The Foreign Ministry said the observer missions are also expected to share their observations
01:21and make recommendations for future electoral processes with relevant authorities, stakeholders and members of the public.
01:29The Ministry said the Chief Election Officer has been officially informed of the scheduled presence of the missions
01:36and of the request from the Caracom Secretariat for meetings with key stakeholders
01:41and that details with regard to the Commonwealth's team are being addressed.
01:45The Foreign Ministry said, quote,
01:47facilitation of the electoral observer missions is in keeping with international best practice
01:52and reflects Trinidad and Tobago's long-standing commitment and adherence to democracy and the rule of law
01:58to the promotion and protection of human rights
02:00and the country's universally acknowledged tradition of free and fair elections, end quote.
02:06The Foreign Ministry said the response from the U.S.-based Carter Center thus far
02:10and to be confirmed has been its inability to deploy and observe a mission.
02:16Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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