Assistant Commissioner of Police Anand Ramesar, who is contesting the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association executive elections, running for the post of President, says he is confident that he will be vindicated by the High Court when the matter comes up for hearing on Tuesday. Ramesar is not a defendant in the matter. Rynessa Cutting has more.
00:00According to the bylaws of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association,
00:06a member of the executive committee shall be eligible to serve only a maximum of three consecutive terms.
00:13One slate contesting the elections has interpreted this to mean that Assistant Commissioner of Police and Andaramasa
00:20is not eligible to contest their elections.
00:24I would have run for three consecutive terms and then I would have taken a break over two election period.
00:33So what I'm running now is not a fourth consecutive term and that is the contention in relation to that.
00:40Ramasa was last in office in 2019. He notes the elections committee cleared him to take part in the elections.
00:48I also take note that the election chair, according to the rules, has a final say in relation to any issue that is an issue of contention as it relates to the election.
01:00I also take note the fact that I'm not the only person in my position who is running currently,
01:05but I am the only person who is being targeted by the opposing candidates in the election as it is.
01:13I feel pretty confident that the matter as it has gone to court will resolve in favour of me.
01:22Ramasa also laments that the municipal police, SRPs and the transit police have been dragged into the matter,
01:30which is now before the high court.
01:32I feel very, very disappointed as it reeks of discrimination against the SRPs.
01:39And if it's anyone that, any group that needs representation, it's the special reserve police officers.
01:46And I believe that there has been a lack of appreciation and institutional knowledge in relation to the involvement of the SRPs
01:55and the representation provided for SRPs by the police association.
02:00In fact, I would have been a member of the association as an SRP, as would have other senior police officers prior to joining the regular police service.
02:12And I wouldn't be surprised if the Minister of Homeland Security would have been a member of the SRP,
02:18would have been a member of the association when he was an SRP too.
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