Eyes on T&T election

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – A  36-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mission has arrived here to monitor Monday’s general election, saying it is confident that voters will elect a new government in a free and fair environment.The mission is being led by retired international public servant Hugh Cholmondeley of Guyana, with former Barbados Deputy Prime Minister Dame Billie Miller as his deputy.They met with officials of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and the leadership of the political parties contesting the poll, which Prime Minister Patrick Manning called more than two years ahead of the constitutional deadline.Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Cholmondeley said that the mission had no mandate to make public statements on any irregularities that might occur during the election, but would bring the matter to the attention of the relevant authorities.“If we observe something that is not in keeping with the laws . . . we have the responsibility to bring that to the attention of the presiding officer and document his response.” Dame Billie described the discussions with the various stakeholders as “open and frank”, saying also that the political parties had indicated that they met with the police to discuss various matters. She said there were concerns that “speak to the possibility of criminal behaviour, bribery, corruption” on the day of the election, but that discussions with the acting police commissioner had had made it clear that the police were prepared “to deal with that type of thing”.The EBC said that 1 040 011 persons were eligible to cast ballots in the election. Both parties will hold their final rallies today. (CMC)