UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar wants to know the criteria by which the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) selects its Returning Officers.
She raised the question after revealing that two EBC Returning Officers for certain marginal seats in the San Fernando Corporation are registered PNM members.
Addressing supporters during a Local Government Election meeting at the Penal Secondary School, Persad-Bissessar said: “I want to ask the EBC what criteria they used to select Returning Officers (RO) for San Fernando City Corporation election. Is it true that RO’s John Mark George and Lorett Hope McDonald are registered PNM members?”
She claimed George is RO for Les Efforts East, Les Efforts West and Springvale Paradise and McDonald is RO for Marabella East, Marabella South/Vistabella and Marabella West.
Persad-Bissesar said all of these are hotly contested marginal seats.
“I call on these officers, are you on a PNM registered members’ list? If you are, you must disclose conflict of interest. Before this week is done we’ll bring more names,” she said, urging election agents to be vigilant and “light dem up!”
Persad-Bissessar said the UNC’s also sending a letter to ascertain the names of EBC presiding and deputy presiding officers and if they’re conflicted, “We’ll light them up also!”
She also alleged an EBC commissioner is a senior partner in a law firm that got over $23 million in legal briefs from Government.
“So I repeat my call for international observers…this Government desperate!”