The Opposition United National Congress is pushing for a meeting with the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) immediately after Easter, concerning proposed EBC changes for general election constituency boundaries which could change voter numbers in certain constituencies.
This includes the proposed addition of 539 more electors in People’s National Movement-held San Fernando West via polling division transfer and proposed shift of three polling divisions from PNM-held Toco/Sangre Grande to UNC-held Cumuto Manzanilla.
UNC MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh, a member of UNC’s team concerning EBC matters, confirmed the situation last Friday following concerns by Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that boundaries may be shifted for upcoming general polls and other proposed shifts in Local Government areas.
Persad-Bissessar had claimed boundaries may be shifted, “favouring one party over another” and expressed concern about EBC and an alleged fake T&T ID card in the hands of a Venezuelan national. The EBC says it welcomes any police investigation and has pointed out its constitutional duty to review boundaries.
Opposition concerns are based on two reports done by the EBC on preparations for both general and LG polls.
Under the Constitution, subsection 72(1), the EBC is required to review the number of boundaries and constituencies into which Trinidad and Tobago is divided, for the purpose of general elections and submit recommendations to Parliament. On March 29, the EBC submitted that report (dated March 14) on the Review of the Constituency Boundaries. It was also presented to the Prime Minister and House Speaker.
The Constituency Boundaries report recommended changes in 12 constituencies in Trinidad: in five UNC-held seats and in seven PNM-held seats.
Subsequently, on April 5, the EBC submitted its Local Government draft order for holding of LG elections. The order recommended changes in seven corporations: three held by PNM and four by UNC.
Both reports are on Parliament’s website. Last Friday, EBC officials stressed to the T&T Guardian that recommended changes in both reports are only “proposed” and both reports are subject to Parliamentary debate before anything is approved. EBC’s formula for boundary changes and other adjustments in both reports is also stated in the reports.
However, Gopeesingh said the UNC’s team had planned to have a meeting with the EBC last week to discuss its concerns, but UNC was told the week before that EBC chairman Norbert Masson would have been overseas.
“But we’ll seek the meeting as priority soon as Easter’s over,” Gopeesingh said,
“What we’ve seen in proposed changes is very serious, particularly considering alleged gerrymandering and past ‘voter padding’ talk. The constituency boundary report recommends changes, including some which move strong PNM polling divisions into marginal seats, strengthening it for them and weakening UNC polling divisions. There are nine polling divisions we’re particularly concerned about. We’ll seek specifics on why changes are proposed.”
The UNC also intends to raise with the EBC, concerns about the voter registration process, “... Particularly the likelihood of Venezuelan or Caricom nationals - ineligible to vote - getting on the list, how EBC employees will go about registration and system strengths to guard against problems.”
The EBC’s general election Constituency Boundary report didn’t recommend changes in 27 constituencies in Trinidad and the two Tobago seats.
But EBC’s recommendations concern alteration of boundaries of 12 Trinidad constituencies: Couva North, Couva South, Cumuto Manzanilla, Laventille East/Morvant, Laventille West, Oropouche East, Oropouche West, Port-of Spain North/St Ann’s, PoS South, San Fernando East, San Fernando West and Toco Sangre Grande.
The EBC’s report stated its data shows the distribution of T&T’s electorate revealed that Couva North and Toco/Sangre Grande fall above the Permissible Upper Limit.
Four constituencies meanwhile fall below the Permissible Lower Limit: Port-of-Spain North/St. Ann’s West, Port-of-Spain South, San Fernando West and Oropouche West.
The EBC said the adjustments proposed resulted in a change of configuration in the 12 constituencies. These include the six previously identified as falling outside the Permissible Limits, as well as six into which or from which polling divisions were added or removed.
The EBC’s rules guiding constituency size include that the electorate “shall so far as is practicable be equal in all constituencies.”
Also, that the electorate in any constituency “shall not be more than one hundred and ten per cent nor be less than ninety per cent of the total electorate of the island divided by the number of constituencies in that island.”
How proposed EBC changes could affect voter numbers
COUVA NORTH
Polling Divisions 3151 and 3152, with electorates of 463 and 358 respectively, were transferred to Couva South, thereby reducing Couva North's electorate to 29,545 and the number of polling divisions to 37. Collaterally, Couva South's electorate was increased to 30,074, which is below the Permissible Upper Limit. Correspondingly, the number of polling divisions in Couva South was increased by two to 43
OROPOUCHE WEST
Polling Division 3795, with an electorate of 513, was transferred to this constituency from Oropouche East, thereby increasing Oropouche West's electorate to 25,144 and increasing the number of polling divisions to 33. Collaterally, Oropouche East's electorate was reduced to 27,772 which is below the Permissible Upper Limit. Correspondingly, the number of Polling Divisions in Oropouche East was reduced by one to 35.
PORT-OF-SPAIN NORTH/ST ANN'S WEST
Electorate: 24,230 - below Permissible Lower Limit.
Original Number of Polling Divisions: 59
Adjustments: Polling Divisions 0670 and0680, with electorates of 203 and 207 respectively, were transferred to this constituency from Port-of-Spain South. Also transferred to this constituency from Laventille West was Polling Division 0705 with an electorate of 356. Consequently, PoS North's electorate was increased to 24,996 and the number of polling divisions therein to 62.
PORT-OF-SPAIN SOUTH
Electorate: 23,530 - below Permissible Lower Limit.
Original number of polling divisions: 64
Adjustments: PoS South Polling Divisions 0670 and 0680, with electorates of 203 and 207 respectively, were transferred to PoS North. Next, Polling Division 1270 in Laventille West, with an electorate of 1,776, was transferred to the constituency of PoS South. Consequently, the electorate in PoS South was increased to 24,896 and the number of polling divisions reduced to 63. Further, Polling Division 1294, with an electorate of 1,360, was transferred from Laventille East/Morvant to Laventille West. This resulted in a reduction of the electorate in Laventille East/Morvant to 26,647, and the number of polling divisions therein to 36.
SAN FERNANDO WEST
Electorate: 24,399 - below Permissible Lower Limit.
Original number of polling divisions: 57
Adjustments: Polling Divisions 4190 and 4195 in San Fernando East, with electorates of 343 and 196 respectively, were transferred to SF West; thereby increasing the electorate in SF West to 24,938 and the number of polling divisions to 59. As a consequence, the electorate in the constituency of San Fernando East decreased to 24,903 and the number of polling divisions to 43.
TOCO/SANGRE GRANDE
Electorate: 31,599 - above Permissible Upper Limit.
Original number of polling divisions: 41
Adjustments: Polling Divisions 2245, 2246 and 2252 in the constituency of Toco/Sangre Grande, with electorates of 586, 386 and 540 respectively, were transferred to Cumuto/Manzanilla; thereby reducing the electorate in Toco/Sangre Grande to 30,087 and the number of polling divisions to 38. Collaterally, the electorate in Cumuto/Manzanilla was increased to 30,189, while the number of polling divisions increased to 54.
T&T Electorate increases in last year
In the EBC's March review on constituencies, it was noted that at December 4, 2018, T&T's electorate stood at 1,124,151.
Of these, 1,074,224 were registered to vote in Trinidad; with the remaining 49,927 being eligible to vote in Tobago.
The annual list of electors published on July 1, 2018, contained 1,120,631 names of registered electors.
The EBC's recently released Local Government draft order recommended changes of boundaries in seven Local Government corporation areas, the creation of additional new electoral districts in two areas and name changes in three others. At Monday's UNC Forum Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed those changes will affect some UNC councillors, including in El Socorro, San Juan.