The Commonwealth Observer Group says the September 7 general election in T&T was “inconclusive, peaceful and well conducted.”
Chairman of the group, Sir Paul Touva, said so during a news conference at the Hyatt Regency yesterday.
The team, which included six other members, was invited to the country by outgoing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to monitor the polls.
Sir Paul said the election “affirmed the country’s track record of peaceful and credible elections and demonstrated its commitment of the people to democracy.”
He added: “The minor shortfalls observed by the group are not significant enough to question the credibility of the outcome.”
He said the closing and vote-counting were conducted according to the laws of the land, which incorporate rigorous checks that safeguarded the integrity of the process.
He said the group “did not witness any incidence of campaigning on election day.”
Sir Paul said the group was made aware of “the surge of vitriolic and personal attacks exchanged between parties on the campaign platforms.”
He said while major parties were signatories to the voluntary Code of Ethical Political Conduct, they did not fully demonstrate their commitment to its tenets.
Sir Paul said, however, that concerns were raised about a lack of transparency and accountability on the issue of campaign financing.
He said while there were rules governing the expenditure of candidates they did not apply to political parties. “
There also were concerns that the lack of campaign finance rules gave the incumbent party an undue advantage,” he added.
He said the group was pleased to hear from stakeholders that the Elections and Boundaries Commission was reflecting on proposals that would regulate the registration of parties as well as campaign finance.
He said the group recommended that “the EBC, the incoming Parliament, political parties prioritise this process.”