UNC accused of ‘spurious’ complaints

In a release issued on Tuesday, the party said the UNC was setting up its “dwindling list of supporters for the ultimate loss” as election approaches. “The UNC has quickly resorted to its preferred tactic of dissimulation, misinformation and obfuscation in an attempt to deflect national attention from its unseemly internal power struggles, the corruption charges faced by its leading players, and its inability to treat with the major issues affecting the nation,” it stated.

The PNM said it was disturbing that the “hapless delegation taking tired excuses to the EBC” was led by the UNC’s nominal leader Winston Dookeran. The release stated that Dookeran had clearly abandoned his rhetoric of “new politics” for the “ole talk” which he clearly hopes will fool a discerning population.

The PNM noted the UNC was now complaining about the provision in the Representation of the People’s Act, which has been in force for one year. That provision allows Commonwealth nationals to vote in Trinidad and Tobago elections after residing here for one year, the release pointed out.

The PNM said this privilege was accorded to all Trinidad and Tobago nationals resident in Commonwealth countries and was reciprocated by Trinidad and Tobago.

“It is extremely worrying that, in its desperate attempt to regain power, the UNC is prepared to undermine Trinidad and Tobago’s trading and diplomatic relations with its Commonwealth partners and to “mash up” the Caricom Single Market, the region’s main hope to remain competitive to ensure jobs and economic growth in the era of globalisation,” the party stated.

The PNM said despite the fact that the new boundary shifts favoured the UNC with the creation of the Mayaro and Cumuto/Manzanilla seats, while dividing Oropouche, a UNC seat into two constituencies, the PNM was confident of electoral victory.