In response to an invite from former Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) has deployed an Election Commentary Mission (CEOM) to observe Trinidad and Tobago’s upcoming Parliamentary Elections, scheduled for April 28, 2025.
The request was first prolonged through letter on December 10, 2024, and confirmed by the Ministry of International and CARICOM Affairs on March 19, 2025. Following this, the CARICOM Secretariat, led by Secretary-Common Dr. Carla Barnett, confirmed its readiness to facilitate the mission.
An eight-member workforce of skilled electoral officers and authorized specialists from throughout the area has been assembled for the mission. The CEOM is headed by Mr. Ian Hughes, Supervisor of Elections for Antigua and Barbuda. The Deputy Chief of Mission is Ms. Dora James, Supervisor of Elections for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The total observer workforce contains:
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Mr. Ramon Orlando Alleyne, Chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Fee of Barbados
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Ms. Fatima Elizabeth Gordon, Supervisor of Registering Officers in Belize
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Ms. Maureen John-Xavier, Legal professional-at-Regulation from Saint Lucia
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Mr. Andrew Anthony Smith, Regional Supervisor on the Electoral Fee of Jamaica
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Ms. Schnaida Adely, Vice-President of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council
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H.E. Felix Gregoire, Chairman of the Public Service Fee in Dominica
The CARICOM Secretariat can be offering assist via a employees workforce that features Ms. Angella Prendergast, Director of International and Neighborhood Relations; Ms. Shae-Alicia Lewis, Programme Supervisor, Neighborhood Relations; Mr. Irvin Brown, Mission Officer, International and Neighborhood Relations; and Ms. Serojnie Seetaram, Senior Secretary, International and Neighborhood Relations.
The core mission workforce arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on April 21, 2025, and has since been actively partaking with key stakeholders. These conferences have included periods with the Chief Elections Officer, the Elections and Boundaries Fee, the United Nationwide Congress management, and the Nationwide Transformation Alliance. Further conferences with political events and civil society teams are scheduled forward of election day.
On April 28, the CEOM will observe all phases of the electoral course of—from the opening of polling stations to the casting and counting of ballots. The workforce will collect each quantitative and qualitative knowledge, assessing not solely the technical administration of the election but in addition the conduct of political actors and the overall electoral atmosphere.
Following the vote, the Mission will problem a Preliminary Assertion summarizing its preliminary findings. A complete Closing Report shall be submitted to the CARICOM Secretary-Common and shared with the Authorities of Trinidad and Tobago, the Chief of the Opposition, and the Elections and Boundaries Fee.
The CEOM is scheduled to conclude its duties and depart Trinidad and Tobago on April 30, 2025.
