Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said there was a strong case that the Elections and Boundaries Commission acted illegally in the September 7 general election by extending the voting time by one hour in Trinidad and is now questioning the legitimacy of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Government.
Speaking at a Team UNC platform at Three Roads Community Centre, Freeport, on Monday night, hours after the Appeal Court ruling on the election petitions, Persad-Bissessar said the ruling was a victory and she was now placing the faith of the party in the rule of law and in the Judiciary of T&T.
“Today records a great victory for the UNC. Today...today, the Court of Appeal, the majority of the Court of Appeal, agreed that our election petitions challenging the result of the general election are valid and should be heard in the courts.”
She told supporters while there was a strong case that the EBC acted illegally, she needed their help to come forward with any information or knowledge of what transpired.
“Come forward and let your voices be heard, so that we can continue to work on your behalf to show that the EBC acted illegally, but we need your help.
“Yes, we have some of the evidence inside but I am sure throughout the length and breadth of this country, there are those who would have suffered a similar fate, who were turned away,” she said.
As she seeks another term as leader of the United National Congress (UNC) and as an alternative to head the Government, Persad-Bissessar also questioned whether the present day Government of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was fit to be in power, given what had transpired.
“We have to question the legitimacy of the Government and from now on we must all sing from the same line, from the same words, from the same page, from the same hymn book that this Government came into office and does not have the legitimacy that a Government should have. The legitimacy of the Government is under question,” she said.
Speaking about the three court cases brought against the EBC, Persad-Bissessar said in addition to the election petitions, there was another constitutional motion filed by the people of Tobago, in which they were alleging that their rights under the Constitution were breached because there was different unequal treatment for Trinidad and different unequal treatment for Tobago.
The one-hour voting extension was applied to Trinidad only because of the inclement weather.
There was another matter before the courts, she said, brought by right-thinking citizens to uphold the Constitution and that was known as a judicial review competition against the EBC, about its actions.
“So, the EBC is being challenged in three different actions and so we leave it there, before the courts, and in the hands of God,” she added.
Speaking about her competitors—Dr Roodal Moonilal and Vasant Bharath—in the elections, Persad-Bissessar noted that while they were challenging her leadership they were also attacking the party.
“I remind them that our great party won over 340,000 votes. We have this battle in the UNC but we must remember that the real enemy is not the UNC but the PNM.
“It hurts me when I see lined up against me are men and women I trusted. Men and women I gave great positions to. I brought them in and they did not support me in the elections in 2010. Dr Moonilal, Dr Gopeesingh, Vasant Bharath, they campaigned on a different theme, just as they are doing today,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said she was not worried because in spite of the challenge in 2010 she prevailed and expected a similar result come Saturday.
“Well, as God would have it, I won our party elections in 2010, she added.