A six member delegation from the United National Congress (UNC) met with officials of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) on Friday, to discuss a series of concerns, including  measures put in place for the general elections during this time of COVID-19.

The meeting, held at the request of the Opposition, came in furtherance of the party’s advocacy “for the EBC to be properly equipped and resourced to accomplish its mandates'” according to an official statement on Friday. “

Among the matters raised in pursuit of a “free and fair elections” were voter registration, the ability of members from Commonwealth Territories to vote in Trinidad and Tobago General Elections, questions around the issue of special voting and the ability of the EBC to police the list of electors.

The party has long raised suspicion about the voting process since its loss at the polls for the September 2015 general election. 

In 2016, the UNC lost its last battle to have a court order fresh elections in five marginal constituencies, with the Court of Appeal  delivering a unanimous decision to uphold the High Court’s ruling which maintained the results of the general election.

The party has once more reiterated its call, championed by leader Kamla Persad Bissessar, for government to briefly reopen the country’s borders to allow for international observers to the general election.

It said, “These observers played an integral part in the recent Guyana elections as we have seen with even a delegation from CARICOM visiting. The observers will of course be subjected to all necessary mandatory quarantine to ensure they are free from COVID-19 before being allowed to function”.