PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC—Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley Friday dismissed the opposition’s name for him to make provisions to make sure that regional and worldwide observers are invited to watch the overall elections in Trinidad and Tobago subsequent 12 months.
Rowley instructed Parliament that however one of the best efforts of the opposition United Nationwide Congress (UNC), “Trinidad and Tobago preserves its proud document in conducting free and honest elections.
“The elections which might be anticipated to be held someday within the not too distant future and will be held as late as November 2025 is just not a matter that’s earlier than us right now, however one of the best efforts of our colleagues and within the occasion of any consideration for the invitation of personnel, company from the skin that can come within the applicable time, when it’s affordable to have that as a precedence,” Rowley mentioned.
Opposition legislator Dr. Roodal Moonilal then requested the prime minister if he agreed that inviting recognized regional and worldwide observers would improve the nation’s democratic credentials.
“Not as a lot because the profitable protection of accusations from the opposite aspect the place since 2020, our colleagues owe the PNM (Folks’s Nationwide Motion) tens of millions of {dollars} (One TT greenback=US$0.16 cents) and won’t pay for issues within the courtroom that they maintain making allegations about election conduct and on each single occasion, Madam Speaker, the elections are free and honest and don’t have anything to do with the concern they’re attempting to create about our election processes,” Rowley replied.
He instructed opposition legislators that if they’re “genuinely thinking about our picture and popularity in elections, you’ll cease battering the method.”
Rowley additionally vehemently denied opposition claims that his administration had indicated earlier than the final common elections in 2015 that it didn’t have funds to ask international observers to watch the ballot, which the PNM gained by a 22-19 margin.
“That is unfaithful (and) for a member to rise up on this Home and fabricate such an untruth. Madam Speaker, at no time on this nation’s historical past and document did the Trinidad and Tobago authorities ever say to anybody that we couldn’t facilitate observers of our elections as a result of we didn’t have any cash …
“Unfaithful. That is typical of our colleagues on the opposite aspect,” Rowley added.
Earlier this week, Opposition Chief Kamla Persad Bissessar mentioned she had written a 17-page letter to Prime Minister Rowley making a case for election observers.
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