Monday, August 20 2012

THE Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) will launch a voter verification exercise in Tobago as the party prepares for the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election.

A statement issued by the PNM said its Tobago Council will be carrying out the voter exercise from tomorrow to September 21, for the THA elections which are constitutionally due early next year.

According to the statement, the party’s specially trained field personnel will visit homes in Tobago to conduct the verification process, which will indicate whether the elector is on the registered voters list. The PNM said its field personnel will carry identification badges that will be presented when they visit people’s homes.

“This exercise is being undertaken with the awareness of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Therefore, we are making an appeal to residents to kindly facilitate field staff in this noble civic exercise,” the PNM said. The party asked Tobagonians to do their part and “help us to ensure that the voters list is accurate. All courtesies will be appreciated.

In a separate statement, the PNM’s Tobago West chairman Stanford Callender said the party fully supports the process adopted by THA Chief Secretary Orville London and the PNM-controlled THA regarding the two bills on internal self-government for Tobago.

“I want Tobagonians to understand that the process from which two bills emanated speak to us, our contribution and our concern as a people. The approach adopted by the Central Government is to disregard the views of the majority of Tobagonians,” Callender said.

According to Callender, Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) political leader Ashworth Jack tried to discredit the almost 6,000 signatures to a petition on the topic. Callender claimed the consultative process used for the Green Paper prepared by the Ministry of the Attorney General “would not have had more than 200 people at all their sessions in Trinidad and in Tobago.”