Nunez-Tesheira raises fresh queries over voting process

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

In this file photo, attorney Karen Nunez-Tesheira, centre, shows off her receipt after filing her nomination on October 10 to contest the post of PNM political leader. Also in photo are Don Millington, left, and attorney Peter Taylor. – AYANNA KINSALE

Karen Nunez-Tesheira, one of the four candidates vying to be political leader of the PNM, is threatening legal action against chairman of the party’s Election Supervisory Committee Anthony Roberts, if he does not respond to her queries about the integrity of the electoral process by October 19.

In a letter written by her attorney Egon Embrack, Nunez-Tesheira demanded a response to questions about ensuring transparency, integrity, accountability and objectivity in the People’s National Movement (PNM) internal elections. She also formally requested the preliminary list of registered voters.

On numerous occasions, Nunez-Tesheira has called for clarification on certain issues that would ensure a fair electoral process, especially as the elections would take place on three days over a nine-day period.

The issues revolved around the security of ballot boxes during the transporting, storing, counting and tabulating stages to prevent tampering, as well as the lack of proper and timely communication of electoral requirements.

At a press conference at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s on August 16, party chairman Colm Imbert said the PNM would allow early voting at polling stations on November 26 and 27, and voting on election day at the party’s convention on December 4, in an attempt to increase participation by its members.

In the letter dated October 14, Embrack said while the party’s constitution made no specific note of it, the established practice was to complete the election process in one day.

“This established course of conducting and completing internal elections in one day since the inception of the party arguably represented a tacit agreement and/or understanding among the membership that the conduct of internal elections should be a one-day exercise or activity.

“This is even more so, considering the increased risk of tampering with the ballot boxes when the conduct of the internal elections is spread over multiple days and constituencies requiring the back-and-forth transportation and requisite handling of the ballot boxes during that time.”

He urged the General Council of the party to “crystallise the settled and established practice of one-day internal elections into an express requirement,” since Article 23 of the PNM constitution gave it the authority to do so.

Embrack also said Nunez-Tesheira received conflicting responses to her query about qualifications for new registrants to vote.

He pointed out that Imbert said the deadline for new applications for membership was August 24, the preliminary membership list would be circulated on September 10, the updated membership list should be finalised on October 23, and poll cards would be mailed to members by October 24.

Despite the fact the preliminary membership list, which was also the preliminary list of registered voters, should have been circulating for over a month, she has not received it after repeated requests.

“As my client pellucidly puts it, ‘this final settling of the list particularly regarding new registrants unnecessarily facilitates a form of cherry-picking which can only lead to speculations as to the very integrity of this important aspect of the process.’”

In addition, he said, there was a lack of communication as to the availability and location of the requisite forms, and the publication of clear and settled guidelines for new registrants who wish to vote.

With the above issues unresolved, Nunez-Tesheira called for a representative from her team to be present to monitor the conduct of the elections at all stages and counter-sign every ballot.

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Queries raised

• At the end of a day of voting, what will be happening with the ballot boxes? How will they be handled?

• Will the ballot boxes be transported from one location to another for safe-keeping? If so, by whom?

• What detail will be used to transport the ballot boxes? Police detail or personal detail?

• Are the ballot boxes to be returned the next day to the polling station? What is the procedure? What safe, secure and fair procedures, policies and protocols are in place for the return of the ballot boxes to the polling stations to ensure fair elections and to significantly minimise if not, eliminate any risk, possibility and probability of tampering?

• After voting is completed on December 4, what is the procedure or methodology for treating with the ballot boxes?

• Where will the ballot boxes be? What safe, secure and fair procedures, policies and protocols are in place for the safe-keeping of the ballot boxes and for counting and tabulating the ballots therein to ensure fair elections and to significantly minimise if not, eliminate any risk, possibility, probability (and reasonably alleviate any fear or concerns) of tampering with the votes cast?

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