Former Chairman of Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation and advisor to the Minister of Local Government, MP Khadijah Ameen says it was not necessary to postpone local government elections to facilitate local government reform.
In a statement the former Senator and current Member of Parliament for St. Augustine said the fumbling and bumbling of Minister Faris Al-Rawi at his press conference where he was at pains to legitimately explain the rationale for postponing the elections was quite telling.
Ameen says “it is no secret that the government is very unpopular with the electorate at this time. The rise in crime, poverty, joblessness and hardship alongside massive blatant corruption and nepotism has created a sense of injustice with citizens waiting to use their democratic power to vote against the PNM.”
She further stated that is clear that the PNM does not want to face the electorate at this time because several local government seats and even regional corporations could change hands from the PNM to UNC. Quite simply if they call the elections now they know they will lose.
MP Ameen says “It is a dark day for democracy and another sign of a creeping dictatorship in Trinidad and Tobago for elections to be postponed for political expediency. It is not too late for PNM to call the local government elections when the term comes to an end in December 2nd of this year 2022.
It is unacceptable for Prime Minister Rowley to run and hide from the population. I therefore call on the Prime Minister to preserve democracy, do the honourable thing by calling the elections now and face the consequences, good, bad or indifferent.”
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