Politicians must take some of the blame for the violence taking place in the lead up to the November 28 local government election, according to political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath.
Ragoonath is head of the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour, which was established prior to the September 7, 2015, general elections, spoke with the T&T Guardian yesterday.
His comments followed the shooting of Rooplal Rampersad, 37, a driver campaigning with the PNM in Chaguanas on Friday. There were also reports of death threats made to PNM St James West candidate Roald Ramkissoon. Both incidents are being investigated by police.
Ragoonath said the Council is calling on "party leaders and their respective supporters to refrain from all acts that will bring the election campaign into disrepute."
"The leadership of some of the parties have to take the blame in that some of the things they are saying on the platform could be inciting their members to behave in a particular manner." He said Friday's shooting was a first on the campaign trail.
"One must question whether the shooting was politically motivated or not.”
Ragoonath said he is hoping party leaders will honour their previous promise to ensure the campaign is conducted "in a peaceful environment, where citizens can campaign for whichever party they want and the campaign is kept at a very professional level."
He added that it was the respective political leaders who signed the Code of Ethical Political Conduct and they are the ones who should to tell their supporters and candidates what is acceptable and what is not.
He said the violence taking place could be caused by the nature of the messages being sent by the parties.
Contacted for comment, PNM campaign manager, Energy Minister Franklin Khan insisted: "There is absolutely nothing being said from the PNM's platform that could incite any form of violence whatsoever. " He called on citizens "to desist from any type of violent or aggressive behaviour.”
One of the campaign managers for the UNC , Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan said the party "condemns any and all forms of political violence intended to disrupt the democratic and peaceful process of the election."
Rambachan said Rowley had sent a subliminal message when he said at a PNM meeting last week that UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Government spent $350,000 to purchase roti for a Divali dinner at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s in 2014.