Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the National Security Council has put measures in place to ensure free and fair elections without thuggery and violence.
Speaking in Penal with members of the media after she filed her nomination papers as a candidate to contest the Siparia seat yesterday afternoon, the prime minister said they have increased security in the country from now right up until Carnival next year.
“So we have called out the reserves, we are on high alert to ensure we have free and fair elections without thuggery and violence.”
“We are putting every measure in place so you can go out there and exercise your franchise to vote without fear of any kind of violence or thuggery.”
She said the Minister of National Security Brigadier Carl Alfonso and the National Operations Centre will continue to monitor the situation. In addition, Persad-Bissessar said she has invited both the Caricom and the Commonwealth Secretariat to send a team of observers to observe the September 7 general elections. “The Commonwealth Secretariat came on a mission for us, as a fact finding mission and the Caricom people will also be here. So I am putting everything in place to ensure free and fair election. That is what we are about. That is what my government is about to do everything I can to ensure free and fair election.”
Persad-Bissessar said while she was taking precautions to ensure there was no violence, she said she was not scared because TT has a strong tradition of democracy.
She said all 41 candidates selected had successfully filed nominations and thanked the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) for conducting a smooth process.
“I want to congratulate and thank the EBC, I have no reports of any untoward incidents. I am also happy all 41 candidates of the PP have filed nominations. So all 41 are in, 41 winning candidates.”
Responding to selection of Rushton Paray, one day after Roger Morales was named as the successor to Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters for the Mayaro seat, Persad-Bissessar said she took into consideration concerns expressed.
“There were some concerns and the executive and the activists were of the view that Mr Paray would be the better candidate, so we accommodated them. I always say I listen and then lead and so I listened that is why we made the change there.”
The prime minister also denied rumours circulating during the day that the PP’s Pointe-a-Pierre candidate David Lee was rejected because he had dual citizenship with the United States. “No, he does not have dual citizenship. What he does have is a Green Card and under our constitution he is entitled to file for the seat.” She said when the allegations first surfaced she spoke with Lee and he assured her that he had no dual citizenship.
On the issue of former Senate President Raziah Ahmed contesting the San Fernando West seat, Persad Bissessar said there was nothing in law to debar her from this process.
“People are saying she cannot run. Constitutionally that is not so. According to the law we have done what is necessary under Section 43 of the Constitution.”
She said under that section, if the President of the Senate or any member of the Senate consent to be a candidate, the Constitution says that person shall vacate their seat.
“I have taken the steps, the former Senator has consented to be a candidate, I have written His Excellency the President under Section 43 and there is no bar, There is no disqualification for Mrs Raziah Ahmed to be a candidate and the winning candidate for San Fernando West.” Parliament announced yesterday that Ahmed resigned as Senate President on Friday, hours before she was announced as a UNC candidate.
FOREIGN RESERVES MONITORED
She appealed to citizens not to be overly alarmed by the issue of foreign reserves.
She said this was an area that was always of concern, but the situation was being monitored and there was no reason for alarm.
She said newspaper reports last week that Republic Bank had stopped the sale of all foreign currency turned out to be erroneous and the paper had to come back and say that was not what happened.
She also shied away from commenting on critical statements about this country and government made by two former US congressman and governor who spoke on the PNM’s platform at Woodford Square last Saturday.
“The PNM could bring from the US, they can bring from anywhere else in the world, at the end of the day, the poll will be done by the people of TT and I have the confidence the people of TT will make the best choice on September 7 and that choice will be for the PP.”