Kamla Welcomes CARICOM Observers, Calls for Additional International Oversight
On 16 September 2024, I wrote to the Prime Minister, stating, “Independent election observation or monitoring is essential for ensuring election integrity. The UNC firmly believes that international and regional observers are needed to ensure that our election is conducted in a free, fair, and just manner, reflecting the true mandate of the people.”
I provided a list of 16 international organisations, including the Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Observation Missions, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD), the EU Election Observation Missions, The Carter Centre: Democracy Program, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and more.
I welcome CARICOM’s indication that it will deploy an Election Observer Mission to oversee this year’s general election in Trinidad and Tobago. I further call on the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to invite international Election Observers in addition to the CARICOM observers. This will ensure the deepest possible checks and balances and guarantee that our democratic process operates as it should. From 2000 to 2015, Trinidad and Tobago had international observers from the Commonwealth Observer Group and CARICOM at all elections.
From 2015 onwards, the EBC’s dubious conduct and personnel appointments have given the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago legitimate reasons to question the integrity, fairness, and transparency of any election process.
1. In our 2015 General Elections, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (“EBC”) extended the polls by one hour. Our courts ultimately found this action by the EBC unlawful.
2. During the 2021 Tobago House of Assembly elections crisis, the PNM Central Government acted outside the proper processes to seek a resolution and instructed the EBC to create additional seats and redo the election.
3. The Rowley-led Government had to be taken to court, all the way to the Privy Council, to force the calling of the 2023 Local Government elections. Furthermore, two election petitions were filed to contest the results. One of those contests had a ballot cast for the UNC candidate, deemed invalid because of an administrative error by the EBC staff. This is another irregular action by the EBC, which our court recognised as such.
4. Trinidad and Tobago is under a State of Emergency, which can allow rogue and unscrupulous state officers to act unethically and undemocratically while citizens’ Constitutional rights are suspended.
Therefore, the UNC believes that having independent international and regional election observers oversee our upcoming General Elections is crucial. Elections must not only be fair but also be seen as fair.