Irregularities shadow elections

UNC internal elections started on time at its centres in central Trinidad. However there were complaints by party members of being omitted from the lists. Lisa Bholai, who said she was a lifetime member of the UNC, however found that most of her relatives had been booted from the list at Waterloo High School. Bholai said she wanted answers.

The Sunday Guardian also received information that Renuka Kangal, the councillor for Cunupia in the Chaguanas Borough Corporation was also not on the list. Kangal said she preferred not to comment on the matter. At the Chaguanas Government School, Indra Jaggessar-Maraj, an election agent, and Sunil Ramjitsingh, a candidate for the deputy political leader, both complained that candidates were not given lists of electors to lobby before the elections.

Jaggessar-Maharaj said she made several requests for the lists and were told that lists would be made available on the day of the election. However, none were given. Ramjitsingh said he received complaints from the North and East about the absence of lists. Ramjitsingh said the elections should have been deferred until irregularities were sorted out. Ramjitsingh said he received reports that election agents for candidates were going into voting booths with voters and assisting them to mark the ballot paper.

Staff working at the Chaguanas Government School also grumbled that they had to use tiny furniture from the infant classes that were designed to seat five-year-old children. Fazal Karim, adviser to the elections committee, said he was on tour with Toolsie Samaroo and Ranjit Ramnarine, two other members of the elections committee to various centres in Trinidad. He said questions and concerns raised would be conveyed to Kemchand Ramdath, head of the elections committee.

Couva South MP Rudy Indarsingh, who voted at the Chaguanas Government School, said he found voting to be a very a simple and straightforward exercise.